A Present of Friendship
by harrylee94
Summary: When Lily befriends Remus on his Birthday, it causes everything in their worlds to shift. What kind of effect will this small act of kindness have on the two of them? And do either of them know the consequences of their new friendship? Lily/Lupin (L/R)
1. A Present of Friendship

**A Present of Friendship**

Sundays always seemed rather special to Remus; it was a time of relaxing and resting, of plotting and mischief making, and, of course, of study. However, there was no need for him to study on _this_ particular Sunday, as he'd spent the previous day in bed in the Hospital Wing, recovering from his night's escapades, with nothing but homework to keep him company while his friends had decided to abandon him.

It had hurt – more than he thought it would – and it had tainted the happiness that had meant to make this day particularly special.

So much for a 'happy birthday'.

And so, after spending a painful morning perusing the plants in Greenhouse 2 and carefully ignoring any presents or letters addressed to him from anyone other than his parents, the young wizard found himself wandering the book filled halls of the library, one of his most precious of sanctuaries.

It had been surprisingly easy to slip away from the Marauders that morning, which only intensified the feeling of abandonment and fear inside him, but he refused to think of that now. Instead, he pulled a random book off the shelf next to him and found a secluded table next to a window, hidden from the view of prying eyes.

Looking at the book's title, he found that cruel irony had decided to throw him another blow.

_Recognising Supernatural Beasts and How to Avoid Them by Marcus Sewell_

Rubbing a hand over his face and holding back a sigh, he put the book down on the desk in front of him and opened it at a random page.

_There is not much known about the Glumbumble, other than its resemblance to its well-known cousin, the bee, and the effects of the treacle it produces (a recognized inducer of melancholy and an antidote for hysteria caused by the consumption of Alihotsy leaves). However, it is a lot more difficult to spot, as its coat is grey and it prefers to nest in secluded, dark places, though they have been known to infest beehives, which has a disastrous effect on the honey produced._

_Found only in Northern Europe, they can also be mistaken for moths by the untrained eye, as their wings are much larger than their cousin's. The best way to avoid any encounters with such creatures is to stay away from bee farms and secluded areas with an abundance of nettles, as they find this plant particularly tasty._

There was a crude sketch of a bee-like creature with large wings below the text which seemed to magnify the hideousness of its legs and fur, no doubt a ploy to convince the reader that it was dangerous, though Remus couldn't see what dangers it would present apart from feeling a little down and mild indigestion. Wondering if the rest of the book would be like this, he skipped a few pages.

_Apart from the Mermaid, the Grindylow is perhaps one of the most famous of aquatic beasts. They have a taste for fish and algae, though there have been cases where their palate has turned to a larger, more warm blooded species of mammal._

_Found around the British Isles and Ireland, these horned beasts are…_

"What are you doing here?"

Slamming the book shut with a resounding _thud_, Remus looked up to find a familiar red headed girl stood at the opening of his little alcove, clutching the strap of her satchel as she gazed confusedly at him.

"P-pardon?" he stuttered, failing miserably at trying to hide his shock at her sudden appearance. He supposed his instantaneous reaction with the book was already enough of a give-away, but there was no doubt that his nervous stumbles had cost him any chance at saving himself.

Lily shook her head and smirked to herself. "Never thought I'd see the day when I'd catch a Marauder off guard."

Remus winced and looked back down at the book. He couldn't really help it when he was reading; he became too enraptured in the book to notice anything else. That was what his friends… were for…

He sighed. It seemed the 'forgetting' thing wasn't turning out so well.

"Remus?"

Looking up again, he noticed Lily had moved a step closer, her eyes, softer and with a hint of worry.

"Are you okay?" she asked, taking another step towards him.

The young wizard tried to smile, but it seemed that he was doomed to fail at any task he attempted that day. "It's nothing, really."

One of Lily's eyebrows rose. "It doesn't look like nothing."

Before he could say anything, the witch had dropped her bag on the desk and sat herself in the chair across from him, pulling the book away from him before he had a chance to grasp at it.

"Spill."

Biting his lip, Remus looked down at his hands before glancing out the window. Should he say anything? It wasn't like she would actually care or anything, what with his association with James and Sirius. And yet there was something about the way she looked at him…

"I…" he started, keeping his eyes on the sleeves he had pulled over his hands, "I was in the Hospital Wing yesterday and last night, and… and they didn't… visit."

For a moment, all the anger in Lily's frame vanished, but before he could recognise the emotion that had replaced it, it had returned at full force.

"The Marauders? Your friends? They didn't visit? Not once. Not once… on a _Saturday_?" As she spoke, her voice slowly escalated in volume, causing Remus to shrink back in his chair a little. He had seen Lily angry a few times, and it was never a pretty sight. "What kind of friends _are_ they?! Leave a friend like that, indeed!"

"Lily…" he tried to warn her, but it was too late.

"Miss Evans!" Hissed a familiar voice, making the both of them jump.

It seemed that Lily's small rant had brought the attention of the librarian, and she was not happy.

"The library is a place of _learning_ and of _study_," she continued, "If you wish to continue your conversation, would you please do so _quietly_."

The two students nodded.

"Yes Madam Beak."

"Sorry Madam Beak."

Giving the two of them a quick once over with a suspicious eye, the woman huffed a 'thank you' and made her way back to her desk, leaving the two of them feeling rather embarrassed.

Neither of them dared to say anything for a few moments, afraid that the barest whisper would bring the strict librarian back to their table, but Remus soon realised that that was foolish thinking, and sighed once again.

"Can I have my book back please?" he asked, holding his hand out towards her. Unfortunately, his action had pulled his sleeve up his arm, revealing the bandage that lay beneath.

Lily glanced at it with curiosity, but, instead of saying anything about it, she merely slid the book across the table, taking a glimpse of the title as she did so.

"Was this on the list of reading books for Care of Magical Creatures?"

Pulling his sleeve back over the bandage, he smiled at her, grateful that she had held her curiosity in check. He didn't think he would be up to lying to her right now.

"No. I just thought… Well, I just picked it off the shelf at random actually. Wanted to take my mind off things."

She frowned. "I don't suppose you ignoring most of the packages you got in the mail this morning was another attempt at 'taking your mind off of things', was it?"

Remus smirked. "No. That was more of an 'ignore my friends and see if they get the message' thing."

She nodded slowly, her lips forming a silent 'oh' before frowning again. "But, why would they send you packages?"

The werewolf blushed and ducked his head. "It's… kind of my birthday."

"What?!"

"Miss Evans!"

"Sorry Madam Beak."

Lily stared at him, her jaw tense. "Why didn't you say anything?"

He looked at her and gave her a small smile. "I didn't want to be a bother, really."

She snorted and pulled her bag towards her before sorting through it vigorously.

"If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were _trying_ not to get noticed," she mumbled as she searched, "which is ridiculous, seeing how you're supposed to be friends with…" Suddenly, she pulled a slightly broken chocolate bar out from under a large copy of _Numerology and Grammatica_ and held it out to him. "It might not be much, but you didn't really give me much warning."

He blinked. "For me?"

"Happy birthday, you moron."

Remus smiled again and accepted the chocolate. "Thank you."

"I should think so."

He laughed. "Just because I play tricks on people sometimes doesn't mean I'm not polite."

Lily smirked. "Seems to be the case with the toe-rag."

"Ah, but James is a pig when it comes to manners, despite all the training his parents put him through. The same goes for Sirius too."

The witch had to cover her mouth to stop herself from laughing too loudly. "You make them sound like untrainable dogs!"

"Are they not?"

This time, neither of them could hold back their laughter.

"If the two of you _insist_ on making so much noise, I am going to have to ask you to leave!" Madam Beak squawked at them, her figure looming over them as her face darkened in anger.

Not wanting to get a detention on their weekend, the two of them quickly packed away their things and left, Remus quickly returning the book to the shelf before joining Lily outside, who had decided to wait for him.

"Sorry," he said, "you probably wanted to study and I got us kicked out."

Lily just shrugged and tied the hooded jacket she was carrying around her waist. "It's alright. I only wanted to do some extra work. I finished all my homework a while ago. And besides, it was worth it."

"Sorry all the same."

With a tilt of her head, she examined him, her eyes becoming slits in her scrutiny. "How is it that those boys are so horrible, and you're…"

Remus shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm a Marauder for a reason, remember. There's more to me than this polite, courteous exterior. Who else do you think comes up with our greatest schemes?"

She giggled again, her smile lighting up her eyes. "You're completely shameless, Remus."

"Why thank you." He gave her a small bow, making her giggles turn into a quiet laugh.

Lily hid her face for a few moments, trying to get her mirth under control with a deep breath before turning back to him. "Do you want to go outside? It's a lovely day, and it _is_ your birthday."

Outside… The others would be outside, and though he was feeling a lot better thanks to Lily's company, he still felt the need to keep his distance from them – even just for a little while.

"Would you mind if I went back to the common room. I…"

Lily smiled at him. "I understand. But I'm not going to leave you alone. This is supposed to be a happy day! I'm not going to let you wallow in self-pity because of those assholes."

Returning her smile, he tucked the chocolate she'd given him into the back pocket of his trousers and motioned towards the main staircase. He would be more than glad for some company.

"And he's a gentleman too!" she exclaimed as she stepped past him. "Will the wonders never cease?"

Feeling another blush creeping into his cheeks, Remus simply nudged her with his elbow as he fell into step with her, ducking his head slightly to hide his shame.

They walked in a companionable silence for a minute, taking care not to step over the trick stair when they reached it, but Remus could tell that Lily wanted to say something, as she kept glancing over at him when she thought he wouldn't notice.

"You know, I won't suddenly break if you ask me a question."

She jumped, clearly surprised at his statement, before her cheeks darkened in embarrassment. "I don't realise I was being so obvious."

"You weren't really," he replied, "I've just had to get used to watching my back. Sirius and James's pranks can be directed at _anyone_."

"I had wondered about the green hair incident…"

They both laughed again.

This day was turning out a lot better than it began.

"Well, I was just…" Lily wove her fingers through her hair, trying to calm her nerves, "You don't have to answer or anything, but… the bandages… What happened?"

Perhaps he spoke too soon.

"I'd rather not say."

"Fair enough." She huffed, looking down at her feet. "Now I've gone and made everything awkward."

Remus knew she hadn't meant to – how was she to know what the bandages meant? There were barely more than a handful of people in the school who knew what he was, and less than half of them would freely broach the subject; the same few who seemed to have decided that he wasn't worth their time. "It's okay. You were curious, and I doubt anything is worse than an unsatisfied curiosity."

"So true," she replied with a smirk. "Thanks for being so understanding."

"I should be saying that to you."

Shaking her head, she pulled on his sleeve to make him stop. "Remus, I know you get sick a lot, and I'm not going to ask you why – not now at least – but you must get asked a lot of questions, so knowing how understanding you are only makes me think that you are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"Lily…"

"No! I won't hear any more excuses from you!" She poked him in the chest, but then her tone softened. "You are nothing like what I thought you were. You're a kind-hearted, gentle and peace loving soul, but you keep bringing yourself down for reasons I can't understand. You hide behind this façade those boys created for you, and you never show who you are. Whatever it is you're hiding from, I know you can beat it if you try."

Remus stared at her, shocked at her faith in his abilities, but this was something that no one could fight, no matter how hard they tried. But he always did. Every time. He fought the beast inside him constantly, and it was exhausting; but he would never give up.

Smiling sadly at her, he sighed. "I don't hide from it. I never have. But it's not myself I protect when I hide. I'm protecting everyone else."

Lily blinked in confusion and he could see the question forming on her lips, but he stopped her before she uttered a word.

"I'll tell you what I'm fighting one day, that I promise you, but not now."

She seemed to consider it for a moment, frowning at him, before she gave him a slow nod.

"I'm going to hold you to that."

Remus snickered. "I would be worried if you didn't."

Smiling at each other, they continued up the stairs again, passing several curious portrait members on their way, though they only whispered amongst themselves.

It didn't seem to take nearly as long as it should have to reach the portrait of the Fat Lady, though neither of them really noticed as they gave her the password. It would have been difficult not to notice what came next though.

"Surprise!"

The two students jumped in shock at the sight before them; bunting was hanging from the ceiling, a table had been set up next to the window covered in food and presents, though the primary item was the biggest chocolate cake either of them had ever seen, and the room held at least a dozen other students in it, most of whom were sporting some ridiculous looking wizarding party hats; James, Sirius and Peter were in the centre of the whole thing, huge grins on their faces.

"Happy birthday, Remus!" Sirius cried, walking over to his confused friend and pulling him further into the room.

"Happy birthday!" Peter mimicked, giving him a pat on the back.

James just grinned at him, though it slipped slightly when he noticed Lily.

Remus couldn't help but stare at everything. "You… you did this… for me?"

"Yeah! Of course!" Sirius exclaimed. "We had to do something, right? I mean, you only turn fourteen once."

Peter nodded furiously.

"Yeah…" the shaggy haired Black rubbed the back of his head, "sorry about yesterday, we kind of had to skip out on you to get everything ready."

Remus just shook his head, unable to wipe the smile from his face. "This… this is…"

"It looks like the Marauders aren't the assholes I thought they were."

Turning back round, the werewolf grinned at Lily who was standing, glaring at James with her arms crossed across her chest.

"Thanks for today Lily," he said, "you have no idea how much it meant."

Sending him a soft smile, she nodded. "Just don't forget what I said."

"I won't."

With one last nod and a long glare at the others, Lily left the Gryffindor tower with a flick of her hair, leaving most of the occupants more than a little confused.

"Did she just…"

"What just…"

"What the _hell_ were you doing with my girl?!"

Remus blinked, stepping back when James suddenly appeared less than an inch from his face.

"I just… she… we were…"

"Come on James." Sirius pulled his brother-in-all-but-blood back. "She probably just wanted to wish him a happy birthday, is all."

"Yeah James," Peter said, "It _is_ his birthday after all."

Taking a deep breath, James nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry Rem."

Remus smiled. "It's okay."

"Good." Sirius looked between the two of them. "Great. Can we party now?"

James laughed. "Yes, we can party now."

**AN - ****Hey guys! It's been a long while since I published anything, I know, but University keeps me busy with original work (so... kind of a good thing I guess). However, I recently discovered that my birthday coincides with our favourite werewolf's, and I HAD to write something! So, on this special day, to celebrate, I thought I'd write you guys this! It can be seen as a one shot, but I will definitely continue it if I get enough interest (hint hint, nudge nudge). I hope you all enjoyed!**


	2. Hedgehogs

**Hedgehogs**

It had been just over a week since the meeting in the library. Neither Lily nor Remus spoke to the other again since, other than greetings in passing and sour remarks on Lily's part to his group of friends. With James and Sirius's pranks, especially with their focus on one Severus Snape, Lily's oldest friend, Remus doubted things were going to change between the five of them any time soon.

The most recent of these moments of traded barbs had come after lunch the previous day.

In true Marauder fashion, St Patrick's day, much like St David's and St Andrew's days earlier that year, had been turned into a great celebration. Fireworks showered shamrocks down upon students and teachers alike while anyone wearing green had somehow gained an Irish accent, and the Slytherins grew bright orange beards. Dumbledore had been delighted by the display and had awarded the young pranksters fifteen points, but McGonagall had been less than pleased, having been quite proud of her Scottish brogue. The four of them had spent the rest of the next hour cleaning up the mess they'd made _without_ magic while Professor Flitwick and Madam Pomfrey took to reversing the effects of their prank, though it wore off after a few hours.

They had been discussing what they might do for the patron saint of England's day the next month when Lily had found them. It was safe to say that she wasn't pleased by their antics, having stayed with Severus in the Hospital Wing for the majority of the morning until the beard had faded. However, the majority of her anger had been focused on James and Sirius, and apart from a few words about 'wrong crowds' and 'influences', she had left both Remus and Peter well enough alone.

Had it not been for the small smiles Lily would sometimes sent his way, or the way her eye softened when she turned to him while scolding James, Remus would have thought that she had never found him in the book filled halls, nor admonished him for hiding away as he did.

As always, James had simply dismissed it with a wave of his hand and a quick smirk, sending her off in a huff as he shouted after her, asking once again for her to join him on an outing to Hogsmeade. He hadn't shut up about how she hadn't answered for the rest of the day, convinced it was a step forward on his quest for her eye.

Now it was Monday, and the festivities of the weekend, though still talked about, were over, and lessons were about to begin. Transfiguration happened to be the first lesson of the day for Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, and it was clear that McGonagall was going to keep a close eye on the four boys.

As soon as he had stepped through the doors to the classroom, Remus could feel the Professor's gaze boring into him. It would be a lie to say it wasn't unnerving, but from the way his friends were acting, it was clear they had chosen to ignore the woman's glare. But Remus had decided that it wouldn't be a good time to incur McGonagall's wrath, and so made his way to his usual seat quickly, his head bowed so as not to catch her eye.

Keeping his eyes down, he pulled his text books from his bag and set about searching for his quill… only to find it had snapped in two since he had stored it away the night before, and his spares were missing. He was going to have to use only the tip, knowing that Peter, his partner in Transfiguration, never had any spares, which would mean stained finger tips. Not that he really minded all that much; it was just an inconvenience he would have rather avoided.

"I hate it when that happens."

Remus sighed. He knew that voice.

"Are we always going to meet like this?" he asked, not looking away from his quill.

"It's not exactly intentional, but it's not easy to find you when you're on your own," Lily replied, taking the seat next to him before rummaging through her own bag. "I've got a spare if you want."

Frowning, he turned to face her. "What are you doing?"

"Um… lending you a quill?" she replied, giving him a sarcastic look before returning to her rummaging.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I mean, why are you sitting here? Don't you usually sit with Robin?"

Lily's eyes widened in mock shock. "So you _do_ have eyes!"

"Ha ha." He resisted the urge to roll his eyes again and levelled his gaze.

She smiled. "You need to lighten up, Remus. I just want to talk."

"That doesn't bode well."

Snorting, she turned her whole attention to her bag, pulling various items she needed for the lesson out as she searched, giving Remus time to look over his shoulder.

Peter was being distracted by Robin, the small brunette that Lily spent most of her time with when not with Severus, and it was clear from his dazed smile that he was under her spell. James and Sirius, on the other hand, were frowning at him. He simply shrugged at their questioning looks before turning back to the front.

"Found it!" Lily exclaimed, producing two feathered quills from the front pocket of her satchel before handing the cleaner one over to him.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it," she beamed.

Unable to help himself, he smiled back. Her smile was infectious.

"Good morning class," came the Professor's voice from the front desk, causing all conversation to cease, for the time being at least, "today, we will be continuing on from our previous lesson and put our studies into action. As you all well know, the _Vera Verto_ spell has many forms, so today we are going to be turning hedgehogs into pin cushions, like so."

Pointing her wand at the hedgehog sat on her desk, she counted to three, moving her wand as she did, and cast the spell.

There was a collective gasp among most of the students as it seemed to dissolve into a small pink cushion with at least a hundred pins sticking out of it. Magic would never cease to amaze.

"Now, I want one student from each pair to retrieve your hedgehogs," she gestured towards the blanket lined baskets next to her, "and you will have the lesson to practice."

With a small inclination of her head, she motioned for the students to make their way forwards and indicated she had finished speaking. A hum of quiet murmurs rose as each pair decided amongst themselves who was to retrieve the animals.

Remus held the quill out towards Lily. "It seems I won't be needing this after all."

She shrugged. "Keep it. I'm sure you'll need it later."

Nodding, he placed it back down on the desk and rose from his seat. "I'll get them, shall I?"

"Sure. Just make sure you don't frighten them too much; they're timid little things."

He froze.

In his haste to repay her kindness he had forgotten the way animals acted around him. Due to his curse, animals were never able to relax around him – not until they had gotten used to him at least. They could sense the wolf – the predator – inside him, and they shied away in fear or disgust depending on the species. He had no doubt that the 'timid little things' would be afraid of him.

"Uh… maybe you should get them," he said, lowering himself back into the chair. "Animals don't like me all that much."

Frowning, Lily looked as though he wanted to say something, but thought better of it and made her way to the basket. While she was away, Remus opened his book to the studies he'd been writing of this new task.

Like with most transfiguration spells, the _Vera Verto_ transformed an animal into the caster's intended form while not harming the creature in any way. It would last as long as the caster wished it to and could be reversed by counter-charms and spells, such as _Finite Incantatum_ and _Explico_. The side effects, though relatively amusing, were at least uncomfortable to the animal, as it would generally get stuck in a state between animal and their intended form.

It wasn't long before Lily returned though, and he pushed the book away as she approached, two small furry faces poking out from the crooks of her elbows.

"Aren't they the cutest things?" she proclaimed as she sat down, placing them carefully on the table before stroking her fingers over one of their bristled backs.

Remus tried to do the same to the other, but it made a strange puffing sort of noise from its nose and backed away, rolling in on itself slightly to raise its spikes. He hadn't really expected anything less, but it still hurt, knowing such peaceful creatures were afraid of him.

"I told you they didn't like me," he said, unable to keep his disappointment from entering his tone.

Lily gave him a sympathetic look, but then she frowned, looking down at the defensive ball the hedgehog had rolled into and her own, calm one, enjoying the preening she was giving it.

"Give me your hand."

Remus blinked. "What?"

She smirked. "Your hand. Give it here. You do know what your hand is right?"

Huffing in amusement, he held up his left hand to her, palm facing the ceiling, which she took with a quick and ready smile, though she remained silent.

Remus's face grew steadily warmer as she slowly turned his hand over and slowly guide it to the one she had been stroking, pausing whenever it began to feel agitated until it calmed down again, until, after a few minutes, his fingers were brushing its fine bristles. He couldn't stop the awed gasp that escaped his lips, or the smile that tugged at them, when it began to purr in contentment. He didn't even notice when Lily had retreated. It had been so long since an animal had been so comfortable around him, let alone allowing him to touch it.

"There. Much better."

He wanted to say something, to thank her for giving him such a precious moment, but he couldn't. It was as though his words were lodged in his throat. It was amazing how something so simple could make him speechless. Raising his head, he simply smiled at her, hoping that was enough to convey his gratitude.

Her warm smile still lighting up her features gave him enough of an answer.

"I'll see if I can coax this one out of his shell while you work with that one, shall I?" she asked, picking up the other, still nervous hedgehog that had begun to peek out from its protective ball.

Once the two shrew-like mammals had been moved to their respective places in front of them, and Lily's had come to realise that Remus was _not_ going to eat it, they began to set about their task. For the majority of the lesson, the two of them were able to reach varying stages between hedgehog and pin cushion, each time getting a little closer to the final product, though Lily was the only one to reach the final stage of the two of them. In fact, by the end of the lesson, only a handful of students had been able to complete the task successfully, including James, much to Lily's chagrin.

Knowing he was only going to brag about it afterwards, Lily's mood turned sour.

"I bet he does it just to spite me," she said, clutching her wand in both hands. "I bet the toerag thinks that I'd like him if he brags and boasts and inflates his already blown up head."

Remus snickered as he stroked the bristled animals before him, both now completely relaxed around him. "You know, I think he might just think that."

She scoffed. "If he liked me enough to ask me out, you'd have thought he'd know better."

"Or at least call you by your first name."

"Exactly! I swear he's the only one in the school who calls me by my last name except some of the Slytherins!"

He couldn't help but smile. "I don't think he'd like being compared to a Slytherin too much."

"Well, it serves him right!"

"Hmm…" Remus hummed before rummaging around in his pocket, retrieving a foil covered rectangular shape after a few moments. "Chocolate?"

She blinked. "Chocolate?"

He nodded, unwrapping corner to reveal the milky brown substance within. "This seems to be a bit of a stressful subject. I always found chocolate to be wonderful for the nerves."

She continued to stare for a few moments, but then she did something Remus wasn't expecting; she laughed.

"Oh Remus!" she giggled, "You really are a wonder."

He frowned. "Is that a no to the chocolate then?"

"What? No! Who in their right mind would ever turn down chocolate?"

Grinning, he broke off a few squares and handed them over to her as she placed her wand on the desk.

"Thanks," she said before unceremoniously popping the squares into her mouth.

Stuffing the chocolate back in his pocket, he nodded. "Think of it as a thank you for the present."

Lily's smile turned into a frown once again. "I' wath only a qui'w."

Remus laughed at her attempt to talk with her mouth full. "I meant the chocolate, last week."

"Oh!" She swallowed. "I'm glad you liked it! Next time I expect you to give me notice though. It was hardly a fitting birthday present."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Suddenly, a loud clap resounded around the room, bringing everyone's attention back to Professor McGonagall who had returned to the spot in front of her desk.

"Congratulations to everyone who was able to complete todays task, you have all earned five points each your houses," the teacher said, glaring at James when he hissed a victory 'yes'. "I would like you all to practice, and I hope to see improvement for next lesson, along with a roll on parchment on the difference between the _Vera Verto_ and _Fera Verto_ spells." She waved her wand at the blackboard where the chalk wrote the task so that everyone could understand what she was asking of them. "If you would return the hedgehogs before you leave. Dismissed."

Discussions rising in volume once again as the students packed away their things, one or two making note of the homework on a scrap of paper or in a note book while others just threw everything into their bags in a mess.

"You coming Lily?" asked the high pitched voice of her friend who had approached them from behind.

"Yeah, I'll just be a sec," she replied over her shoulder as she scribbled furiously in her note book with a pencil. When she was done, she quickly crammed them away in her bag and tucked her wand into her pocket. "Thanks again for the chocolate Remus."

"You're welcome," he replied, also packing away his things. "I'll return the hedgehogs, shall I?"

She smiled. "Thanks." Turning away she caught up with Robin who had begun to make her way towards the door. "Next time, I hope we talk _outside_ of class."

"I'll see what I can do," he cried after her.

It had been a long time since he had enjoyed a Transfiguration lesson as much as he had today, mostly due to Peter's struggles that distracted him more than he'd wish and the inability to calm the animals he had to inevitably handle, but with Lily…

"Is there something you're not telling us, Moony?"

Sighing, Remus turned to look over the back of his chair to find both Sirius and James stood leaning against their desk with their arms crossed, Peter nowhere in sight. He heavily suspected that the mousy haired boy had already rushed off towards Potions, due to the detention his late arrival had gained last time.

"No. Nothing." He turned back to the hedgehogs that had begun to wander around the desk. "She sat next to me, we talked, we laughed, end of story."

He stroked the nearest hedgehog before picking them both up and placing them carefully in one of the baskets under McGonagall's watchful eye.

"Right," came Sirius's retort, "so you're saying that her holding your hand was nothing."

"It was!"

One of James's eyebrows rose. "She was holding your hand for an _awfully_ long time."

Remus rolled his eyes. "She was helping me get the hedgehogs to trust me."

"By holding your hand?"

"Well it worked!"

"But you…!" Sirius paused. "It did?"

"If you boys are quite finished," the Professor interrupted, almost appearing out of nowhere as she loomed over Remus's shoulder, causing him to jump. "I would suggest you make your way to your way to your next lesson. It's potions if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes professor."

"Sorry Professor."

"Of course Minnie."

McGonagall's eyes sharpened at Sirius's words. "If you continue on that route, Mister Black, you'll be finding yourself in detention for a month."

Sirius simply grinned and dashed out, snatching his bag from the table as he went, James following shortly after and knocking a chair over as he left.

Remus made to follow, though at a much more sedated pace, but an expectant cough made him turn back.

"You worked well with Lily today, Remus."

He shrugged. "I wasn't able to Transfigure the hedgehog properly though."

"But you made more progress with her than you did with Peter."

He remained silent.

"Just an observation, Mister Lupin."

Remus made to answer, but found himself suddenly propelled backwards by the hem of his robe.

"Come on Remus! We're going to be late!" James exclaimed, dragging his friend by the sleeve.

"But…"

"Don't want to get in any _more_ trouble with the Slug, do we!" Sirius exclaimed, running beside them. "Not after that exploding cauldron last week!"

"That was _your_ fault!" Remus cried.

The other boys simply laughed and continued their rush to the dungeons, their suspicions forgotten for now.

**AN - Hey guys! Happy St Patrick's day! ****I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I'm not _completely_ thrilled with it, but it was definitely a lot of fun to write. I know it's all been pretty dialogue based so far, but, hopefully, things will get a little less so soon.**

**As for the spell, I always assumed it was _Fera Verto_ in the second year, which translates (from Latin - gotta love google) as 'wild animal exchange', but found it was supposed to be _Vera Verto_, meaning 'truly exchange'. I thought it could be two different forms of the same spell, hence the essay subject.**

**Thanks again for reading! I'm so glad I was able to keep writing for you guys :)**


	3. Fruit Bowl

**Fruit Bowl**

Little to say, James and Sirius had been suspicious about the way both Lily and Remus were acting around each other after that day in Transfiguration. They had become a lot more friendly towards one another, and though neither ever spoke more than a few words outside of lessons, it was beginning to become an increasingly common sight to find the two of them sat next to each other in Professor McGonagall's classes. When this spilled over into Charms a few days later, the two Marauders had confronted him about it.

"It's nothing!" Remus had told them. "She's just helping me out a bit. As much as I love Peter, it's a little hard to learn when you're worried about whether your partner's going to blow something up or accidentally send a charm your way."

They hadn't been convinced, but when they noticed Robin – whom Peter was now forced to sit next to due to Lily's 'interfering' – was beginning to fall behind, and that Lily was _always_ the one who initiated their seating positions, it hadn't taken much more to sway them, much to Remus's relief. He was getting sick of their constant probing.

They still asked him what they'd talked about after each lesson though.

But today wasn't about Remus or Lily. Today, _everything_ was going to be about James.

Unfortunately, today also seemed to start at six in the morning.

Remus was going to _kill_ Sirius.

"What in the name of Merlin's underpants-"

Sirius shushed him. "Not so loud!" He whispered. "You'll spoil the surprise!"

"What surprise?" Peter asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

The black haired boy simply grinned as he produced a bucket from behind his back.

They all smirked. It may have been the oldest trick in the book, but it was a classic. Peter quickly dashed off to his truck where he picked up the camera that had been sitting on top.

"To capture the moment," he said, winding it up, to which they both nodded.

Casting a quick _Aguamenti_ into the bucket to fill it with water, the three of them approached James's bed.

Moments later, the majority of the Gryffindor tower had woken with the sound of hysterical laughter and the shouts of an extremely angry third year student.

"You bastards!" James cried, leaping out of his water logged bed. "What the hell!"

Sirius was having a hard time of keeping back the laughter, though the others had no such qualms. "Aw, come on James! It was just a bit of fun!"

James gave him a dark look. "Sit on it."

Sirius gawped at him, a look of hurt on his face. "You wound me!"

"Good!" He turned his gaze to the two hysterical teens who were leaning on each other for support beside Remus's bed, noticing the camera in Peter's hand. "If you dare publish those photos…"

"Would you just _shut up_!"

The four of them turned to find the curtain of the fifth bed open, the dishevelled form of Tobias Grigg staring at them in annoyance through bleary eyes. "It's too early for this. I'm trying to sleep here! As is everyone else!"

The four of them looked at each other sheepishly, though Sirius was still grinning from ear to ear.

With a shake of his head, Tobias closed the curtains again, the thick drapery cutting off his mumbles of annoyance. It wasn't the first time that had happened, and none of them doubted that it would be the last.

Sighing, James whipped his arms down for a moment, spraying the floor with a light spread of rain. "There had better be a good reason behind waking me up at this hour."

Sirius snorted. "Of course there is. When have I ever woken you for no reason?"

Each of the boys gave him an incredulous look. Remus alone could name at least three separate occasions in the last month, let alone 'ever'.

"Don't answer that."

Remus snorted before moving back to his bed. No doubt they were going to have to leave, so he'd have to get dressed. Might as well make a start.

"Well, whatever it is," James huffed, "it can wait. Birthday or not, I'm soaked, and I need a shower."

Sirius groaned as James wandered towards the bathroom, picking up a towel and some spare clothes as he went, but as soon as he was gone, he turned to Peter.

"Those photos need to be _everywhere_ by lunch!"

Grinning, Peter ran down the stairs to the common room to call on a house elf, leaving the last two Marauders on their own.

"What are you up to, Sirius?" Remus asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he pulled on a sock.

"Wait and see," came the reply. "Oh, you're all going to _love_ this."

He had never been more terrified of those words in his life.

Just over half an hour later, after everyone had changed and James had finished sulking and preening his feathers (much to the others' entertainment), the four boys crept out of the Gryffindor tower, all squished but safely hidden under James's invisibility cloak, and down into the depths of the castle.

Despite their persistent badgering, on James and Peter's part at least, Sirius didn't say a word about where he was leading them. It wasn't until they reached the basement that he gave any indication of their destination.

"We're almost there." He said, glancing along the walls at each portrait they passed until they reached one of the most ordinary images they had ever seen.

"A fruit bowl?" James asked, the annoyance rising in his voice. "You got us out of bed at six in the morning… to look at a portrait of a _fruit bowl_?!"

Remus had to admit that even for Sirius, this was a stupid prank.

However, the black haired boy simply shook his head. "All in good time my fine fellows."

Checking the coast was clear, he stepped out from under the cloak and approached the portrait, motioning for the others to do the same. With a huff, James pulled the cloak off of them and stuffed it in the pocket of his robe, ruffling his already messy hair with his hand, making it spike up a little more as he watched with guarded curiosity.

Sirius turned to face his friends, grin wide on his face. "Now, watch, and be amazed!"

And with that, he reached out and… tickled the pear?

Remus blinked. Why would anyone want to…?

Before he could even finish the thought, to his astonishment, the pear _giggled_. Not only that, but it squirmed and jiggled about until it became smaller and smaller, turning into a ball, which proceeded to protrude from the canvas.

As the three spectators gawped, Sirius reached up and twisted it, much as you would a door knob, and proceeded to pull… causing the portrait to swing away and reveal an open doorway.

"Gentlemen, may I present to you," Sirius bowed with a flourish, "the Kitchens."

He was left hanging for a few moment, but when no one else made to move, Remus stepped through the portal, cautious of what he might find, and gasped.

He had never seen such a huge room, barring the Great Hall which was no doubt directly above. The ceiling arched high above, rafters hidden in the smoke and steam that rose from the boiling pots and pans that sat on stoves and ovens lining the majority of one wall. On the other side of the room, unused kitchenware hung and sat, some in clusters and mounds on the floor, others in great organised clusters along hooks on the wall, ladders leaning against it in various positions. However, it was the great brick fireplace, roaring from the other end of the room, which caught his eye, bringing a blazing heat to the room and filling it with light.

The intake of breath from behind him reminded Remus that he was not alone, and brought him back to reality. With a quick blink, he took in the other occupants of the room.

A small crowd of waste high creatures with bat-like ears and bulging green eyes of varying shapes and sizes had begun to cluster around them, abandoning their tasks at the large tables in the centre or the stoves by the side for a look at their unexpected visitors.

House elves: loyal, magical creatures who worked for the whims of the wizarding community. Though they would do anything for their masters, they were rarely treated with the respect they deserved, something that riled Remus up to no end, most likely due to the way his _own_ 'kind' (how he hated that term) was treated in much the same manor.

"Happy Birthday, James."

Sirius's comment brought all the eyes towards him and several of their owners squealed in delight.

"Master Black!"

"Mister Black is returned!"

"He's back! He's back!"

Remus had to smile at their child-like mentality; always eager to please and overly fond of anyone who offered them any kind of kindness.

"Is Mister Black returned for cake?" one of them asked.

"Kipsy makes it special," said another, much younger than the first, wringing the hem of the tea towel wrapped over her shoulders and waste. "Kipsy very careful and makes it just like Master Black said."

Sirius smiled and nodded, his cheeks beginning to flush. "Thank you Kipsy. Perhaps after breakfast?"

"Of course, Master Black!" Kipsy exclaimed, smiling widely. "Anything for Master Black!"

"Is Mister Black and his friends liking their breakfast now?" asked the first one.

Sirius looked at the others, silently asking if they wanted anything, to which they all nodded. "If you don't mind."

"No trouble for Mister Black, sir," the elf replied before tottering off towards the stoves, and moments later, the others joined him, one or two dashing off to fetch plates and cutlery while Kipsy led the boys to a small table near to the fire, around which half a dozen cushioned chairs sat, waiting for them.

"Kipsy will get Master Black and his friends some drinks," the young elf stated and promptly ran off to find some goblets.

As soon as she was gone, they all turned on their popular friend.

"Mister Black?" Peter asked.

"Master Black?" James continued, a smirk on his face.

Remus simply shook his head. He should have known that Sirius, of all people, would have found a way to get the house elves to like him.

"Yeah, well…" Sirius rubbed the back of his head, his face going even redder than before, "They're like that every time I come here, and I don't know how to make them stop."

James laughed. "No use in trying mate, it won't happen."

Suddenly, a pair of eager elves appeared beside them, pushing plates and cutlery onto the table, holding out napkins to them. When Remus took his, he thanked the small being with an easy smile.

"Anything for friends of Master Black!" it replied before scurrying off.

The black haired boy sighed, making them all laugh as the elves left.

"Don't deny it, you love it really."

He pursed his lips. "Maybe a little."

They all laughed again, but when James made to say something, Kipsy returned carrying a tray of eight different goblets and mugs of varying colours.

"Kipsy did not know what the young masters would prefer," she said shyly, pushing the tray onto the table. "Kipsy hopes she chose correctly."

Picking up one of the mugs, Remus blew on the steaming liquid inside before taking a sip.

The sweet taste of chocolate immediately filled his mouth, shortly followed by the sharp heat of the liquid as he savoured it for a moment too long. "It's perfect Kipsy." He smiled at the eager elf. "Thank you."

"Sir is most welcome," she said with a bow.

As she wandered off, their breakfast was brought over in great, sizzling pans. The bacon, sausages and scrambled eggs, though delicious, didn't last long, and soon Kipsy was returning once again, this time bringing a cake almost as big as she was with her.

It was no doubt a Victoria Sponge – James's favourite – but it was hard to tell under all the red butter icing and the lion image carefully laid on top. The lion was a little strange, like a child had drawn it, but there was no doubt as to what it was.

"Kipsy brought the cake, just as Master Black asked."

The cake was slid in front of James, who stared at it with wide eyes.

"Thanks Kipsy," Sirius replied, "it's great."

After Kipsy had gone again, James dragged a finger along the rim of the cake, picking up a significant amount of icing before depositing it in his mouth. "Merlin… This is _amazing_!"

Sirius beamed. "I knew you'd like it."

"I wish I could eat it all, right now."

"But what about us?"

"You'd probably be sick!" Peter added.

"I don't think you'd manage it before Potions." Remus smirked at the image that came to mind of James stumbling down the stairs to the dungeons, holding his stomach and groaning in pain.

James pouted. "I bet I could do it."

"James, it took _all four_ of us _three _days to finish _my_ cake, and we hardly ate anything else! Yours is the same size, if not bigger, that mine, so how do you think you could possibly finish it in two hours?"

James frowned and crossed his arms in a child-like tantrum as the others snickered. "Fine. But we don't eat any until after dinner then!"

"Aw!"

"Come on!"

"Really?"

He nodded.

Sirius huffed. "Thanks a lot, Moony."

Remus blinked. "Moony?"

James grinned. "Yeah! What do you think? Sirius and I thought of it the other day and…"

"Moony? Seriously?" Remus demanded. "Could you _be_ any more obvious?"

Sirius shrugged. "I thought it worked."

"No one will notice," James continued with a smile. "Come on! It's a great nickname!"

"No it's not."

"And it's my birthday! That means what I say, goes. And I say Moony is your new nickname." He slammed his hand down on the table with a loud _thud_.

Sirius raised his mug. "Here here!"

Remus sighed. There was no chance he was going to win this battle. "Fine."

The two boys cheered.

"Does that mean we'll be getting nicknames too?" Peter asked.

James nodded. "Oh, most definitely!"

"When our _Plan_ comes into fruition." Sirius added.

"We'll know our nicknames then."

Peter frowned for a moment before a look of realisation crossed his features. "Oh yeah! Of course."

Remus shook his head and sighed. "What plan is this?"

James waved him off. "Oh, you'll find out eventually."

"Besides, it'll be worth the wait."

Remus didn't know what was worse; the fact that they had a plan, or the fact that it involved him on some level. Why else wouldn't they tell him what it was?

Taking a swig of his pumpkin juice, James turned his gaze up at the ceiling, though his eyes became lost in thought. "Do you think Lily would go out with me if I asked her today?"

Sirius snorted. "You mean, like every other time you asked since you met her?"

"She'll come round. Maybe today's the day!"

"You know James, I don't think the 'birthday' card will work on her."

"It worked on Remus."

"Yeah, but Remus actually _likes_ you."

James paused. "True."

Remus sighed. It seemed the day was going to be a rain of wishes for James, though he doubted many of them would be answered, and his arrogance level seemed to have turned up to 'max', so there wasn't a chance he wouldn't get through the day without achieving at least one detention. Poor Lily was going to be bombarded by his begging before the day was out.

Thank Merlin those photos were going to get posted by lunch. He didn't think he could handle so much of James's ego in one sitting.

**AN - It's a little shorter than the others, but I'm planning on making up for it later. It was a lot of fun to write, and it wouldn't let me make it any longer, but I hope you liked it!**

**Don't worry, you'll be getting the story behind how Sirius first discovered the kitchens _eventually_, but it didn't really work in the chapter. And I'm sorry for the lack of our favourite red-head, but we had to have a 'boys' chapter some time.**

**A big thanks to everyone who's reviewed, especially _i never did tell you_ who's been looking over my chapters before I publish! Until next week guys!**


	4. A Growing Bond

**A Growing Bond**

The days had gone by faster than Remus had hoped. April Fools' had been an explosion, to say the least, and had bought all four of the Marauders a week's worth of detentions with Filch, much to the new caretaker's delight. It was a lot more challenging to pull off pranks without getting caught due to the new addition to the Hogwarts staff, as the position of caretaker had remained vacant since 1968, when Apollyon Pringle had retired. Though Filch wasn't prone to the corporal punishment his predecessor had been known to give, he was still a firm and hard task master.

However, the full moon was approaching, and Remus had begun to feel the strain it put on him over the past few days. Though the others tried to take as much weight off of his duties as possible, the detentions only made it inevitable that this month's transformation was to be particularly difficult.

It was the day of the transformation – a Saturday, luckily – and Remus was taking the free time he had to work on his potions essay under a tree a short distance from the lake, though he was finding it incredibly hard to concentrate. He had never been any good at potions, so he doubted that anything he was writing would make any sense in the first place anyway.

Looking over his work, the young teenager sighed; even to his eyes it looked like gibberish. With a shrug, he packed away his things away, wiping off his quill in a handkerchief he kept especially for it and waiting for the ink to dry before rolling the parchment up and pushing them all into his bag.

It was a beautiful day, if a bit chilly: the sun was shining and the sky was almost clear. If it weren't for the northern wind, it would easily have been mistaken for summer weather. As it was, a jacket, or at least a jumper in his case, was advised. Of course, most of the Marauders were not ones to take notice of advice that sounded even _remotely_ logical, so they were all frolicking in the Lake's freezing waters.

Yes. Frolicking was the right word. Not that Remus would ever admit it, of course. Not to their faces. They were using what free time they had before their detention that night to have as much fun as possible, even if it was at the risk of their own health. Remus was given the rest of the detention off though, due to his… condition.

Leaning back, the jumper-clad student shifted against the tree roots under his back as he smiled up at the branches above him, the leaves swaying the breeze. He was too exhausted to think about anything and he felt his eyes slowly begin to grow heavier and heavier until it reached the point where he couldn't keep them open any more.

He was about to doze off into some much needed sleep when a polite cough disturbed him.

Slowly prying his eyes open, Remus blinked up at the figure that had joined him.

"Lily?"

The red-head shifted uncomfortably. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I should just… go."

"What?" he pulled himself onto his elbow. "No. No! It's fine. You can… You can stay."

Lily continued to look nervous, looking back towards the castle for a moment before sighing and sitting next to him, folding her hands in her lap. "Thanks."

Remus nodded, propping himself back upright with one last push.

The two of them simply sat there for a few minutes, watching the three boys in the lake make fools of themselves in quiet contemplation as the few clouds overhead moved across the sun.

Not taking his eyes off of his friends, Remus sighed. "Why are you here?"

Lily blinked. "Why…?"

"Don't take that the wrong way." He smiled, tilting his head so he could look over at her. "I enjoy your company, but we barely speak outside of classes. I'm a little surprised you took the time to find me is all."

She paused, opening her mouth a moment before shutting it again and frowning, her gaze falling to her hands in her lap. "Oh."

Remus studied her over for a brief moment. He hadn't noticed it before, but she was a lot more shy than usual; more closed in on herself and quiet. There was definitely something wrong, but Remus had gone through something similar many times before.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want."

Her head rose faster than a Nimbus, eyes wide with shock, but it soon melted into a look of gratitude. "There you go again, being all gentlemanly."

Remus blushed. "Uh… thank you?"

She giggled. "Oh, Remus! You're too easy to tease!"

If it were possible, he could feel his face get warmer. "I think I resent that."

"No! Don't! I think it's sweet."

It would seem that the impossible had become a reality as Remus's face flared once more. However, even though he could probably see himself dying of embarrassment in the near future, he couldn't help but feel happy. It had only been a few minutes and already Lily was acting her usual, cheerful self.

Unfortunately though, with one great sigh, that sadness had returned, and were it not for his red cheeks, it would have been as though the moment had never happened.

James had jumped on top of Peter at some point during their conversation and was making gestures towards the centre of the Lake in a mock commanding way while Sirius dove beneath the surface, reappearing moments later and spitting water in Peter's face, making him drop his friend with a massive splash.

"I think Robin hates me."

Remus frowned. "Robin? Why would she hate you?"

"She…" Lily pulled her knees to her chest. "She said that it was my fault that she was failing. That if it weren't for me, she would be getting better grades in Charms and Transfiguration."

Oh… "It's because of me, isn't it."

"What? Oh no, Remus, I didn't mean-"

"Those are the two classes where you've been sitting next to me for the last month, so it's only logical that I'm the reason for all of Robin's misfortunes, right?"

"Remus…"

"You should go back to sitting with her. I can deal with Peter."

"Remus, please…"

"I'm not worth…"

Suddenly, the left side of his face flared up in an unfamiliar sting as the air cracked with the resounding, ear splitting clap of skin on skin, his eyes wide as he stared numbly at the bark of the tree. Raising a hand to his cheek, he turned back to find Lily holding her own over her mouth, tears in her eyes.

"Li-Lily?" he gasped, hand still pressed to his face.

"Oh my… Remus, I'm so sorry!"

Before he could say anything, she was gone, running up the hill back towards the castle in a flash of red and blue. Without a thought, he followed.

"Lily!" he exclaimed, "Lily, wait!"

But she kept running. It was only when he caught her by the arm that she stopped, though she continued to struggle against his grip.

"Let go of me!" she cried, pulling at his hands. "Leave me alone!"

"Lily, stop!"

"I _hit_ you Remus!"  
"And I deserved it!"

Lily froze, staring at his chest with tear-filled eyes.

Loosening his hold, Remus smiled softly down at her. "I was wallowing in self-pity, Lily. You did me a favour."

Lily shuddered. "Why?" She looked up at him, eyes pleading. "Why do you do that to yourself?"

"I… I'm not sure I'm ready to explain that just yet."

She lowered her head again, her face scrunching up in an ugly look of sorrow. "You still don't trust me…"

"Oh, Lily..." Letting go of her arms, he wrapped his around her, pulling her close. She struggled for a moment, but soon relaxed, clutching the fabric of his jumper with her fingers. "Of _course_ I trust you!"

She sniffed. "Not enough to tell me though."

He sighed. "I'm not… ready yet. Give me time."

"But you told _them_, didn't you!"

Remus chuckled. "Actually, it was more like they found out and cornered me."

The two of them looked over to where the boys had been splashing about, but were now slowly drying themselves off with the towels they had brought along, sending unreadable glances up at them every so often.

He winced when he noticed James's look of fury. "It looks like I may have a bit of explaining to do later…"

Lily sighed. "I've done it again, haven't I. I've gone and ruined something for one of my friends."

"You… friends?"

She looked up at him. "Oh… I suppose we're not, are we." She started to pull away from him again. "I'm sorry. I won't-"

"I would love call you my friend, Lily."

She stared up at him with those beautiful, watery green eyes, hope hidden behind fear deep within them; a combination of emotions that seemed all too familiar.

"Come on," he held out his hand, taking a step back, "let's go back. I've got a potions essay that needs looking over, and I wouldn't mind a bit of protection from James."

Looking over at the boys who were now pulling their clothes on over their soaked trunks, Lily giggled a little. "Yes, that toerag _does_ look a little put out, doesn't he."

With a quick nod, her slender fingers slipped over his and wrapped themselves around his palm, squeezing it for a moment before she led the way back towards the tree. By the time the pair had reached it, the trio of drying boys had begun to make their way over.

"Brace yourself." Remus murmured, covering it by reaching for his bag.

Quickly wiping at her eyes, Lily supressed a laugh and accepted the roll of parchment her newly named friend offered her. She hadn't been able to unroll it before a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Evans! Fancy seeing you here!" Sirius seemed to be trying to keep the conversation on a higher note, the light tone of his regular mocking tainted with a nervous edge as he glanced between the two sat under the tree and James. "Helping Remus with his homework?"

Peter frowned at him. "What happened to your face?"

Before he could stop himself, the werewolf's hand rose to his cheek.

"A little misunderstanding." Lily said with a roll of her eyes. "And yes, I _am _helping with his homework."

James scoffed, eyes fixed on his traitorous friend. "Because homework requires hugs and hand holding."

Remus shrunk a little beneath his gaze. He was not looking forward to explaining things later.

Lily scowled up at him. "Like you would have any idea how to do homework in the first place. And to think, you want to be an Auror when you graduate!"

Sirius bit his lip as he tried not to smile at the retort, his face showing how much he wanted to react, but James's rigid frame kept him from saying anything. It was a well-known fact that James rarely, if ever, did his homework, yet he was still infuriatingly talented at anything he put his mind to.

For a moment, the messy haired boy could only gawp at her, but soon got his mouth under control. "I know that hugs have nothing to do with it!"

"Maybe not, but that's what _friends_ do! They hug!"

James scoffed again.

Lily shook her head. "Just because a toerag like you doesn't hug your friends doesn't mean _I_ don't."

"Since when?" he demanded, flinging his arms up. "I haven't seen you hug Robin, or Snivellus, thank Merlin." He shuddered. "Who knows what kind of things he could have infected you with if he had…"

"You leave Sev out of this!"

"It's that greasy git's fault! He exists, ergo, I hate him!"

Lily stood with a huff. "Fine." Picking up Remus's bag, she turned to the lanky boy. "Come on Remus, we can work on your essay inside." And with that, strode back up the hill, head held high.

The young werewolf spluttered for a moment before rising to join her. "Sorry, I uh… Lily, wait!"

He could feel the burning glare of his friend burning into his back as he ran after her, but he refused to look back. He never thought he ever would be, but he was glad the full moon was tonight. He had no doubt James would gut him the next chance he got.

Lily passed him his bag without a word when he reached her, but it was quite clear that she was in no mood to talk now. Slinging the strap over his shoulder, he simply kept pace with her, walking through the halls until they reached the grand staircase.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" she exclaimed. "It's not like you've done anything wrong! _Or_ Sev! I swear he's got a grudge on every boy I have even the faintest of connections to!"

"He tends to het that way when it comes to "his girl"." Remus said, motioning the quotations in the air.

One of Lily's eyebrows rose. "_His girl_?!"

He laughed. "You should hear him going on about you in the dorms…" He stopped, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Remus?" Lily pushed in a sing song voice, a little smirk beginning to for on her lips. "What does he say?"

He shook his head. "I shouldn't. I… He'll kill me!"

"I'm sure it's not _that_ bad!"

He shook his head again. "I can't! I didn't even mean to say anything! Can we just forget about it?"

Lily pouted. "But… I thought you _liked_ me!"

Oh god, she was giving him the puppy-dog look!

"Pah-_lease_!"

He tried to resist. He would swear to Magic that he did, but…

"I… Not here."

She grinned in triumph, skipping happily up the stairs, leaving him to groan and plod along behind her. Defeated by a girl's eyes, what would come next?

It didn't take them long to find an empty classroom – it was Saturday after all – and the two of them slipped inside, each leaning against an abandoned desk after casting a _muffliato_ spell on the door.

"So," Lily said, shuffling to make herself comfortable, "spill."

Sighing, he shook his head. He may as well… "James… You're pretty much the only thing he talks about besides quidditch."

Lily laughed. "I guessed that. What about the details?"

"Well…" He scratched the back of his head. "He talks a lot about how he's going to win you over, how you're going to give in to his good looks and charms. He may have mentioned something about trying to impress you in the next quidditch match."

She rolled her eyes. "Predictable. I already knew he was full of himself. Anything else?"

Remus blushed. "Uh, well… There was this time when… Um…"

Lily's grin turned practically devious. "Oh! Something embarrassing! Do tell!"

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose and swallowed. "He Jumped around the room one night shouting he was going to marry you at the top of his lungs… in a towel."

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, her face a picture of pure elation as she began to laugh.

"What was worse was that he forgot to hold onto it after a while, and it… well…"

She was hysterical, clutching her chest as she rolled back on the desk, clutching her knees. "This is… this is too good! I can't…"

As much as he tried not to join her, it was no use. Within moments, the both of them were rolling about on the floor in tears.

It felt so good to laugh. Even though his body still ached with the strain on the moon, which the stone floor was doing _nothing_ to help, this joyful moment made it possible to forget the dreaded night, if only for a few moments.

After the two of them eventually caught their breath again a few minutes later, they clambered to their feet again, leaning heavily on the desks.

"Well," Lily gasped, "I suppose I'd better look this over, since that seems to be our excuse for escaping team twat."

Remus couldn't help but snicker. "How long did it take you to come up with that?"

She shrugged as she unrolled the wrinkled parchment. "A few seconds. I don't really want to waste much valuable thinking time on those idiots."

He hummed, frowning in thought. "Since when has it become 'team twat and Remus'?"

Lily looked up at him and studied him for a moment. "I told you before; you're not like them, you're so much kinder than they are."

Remus flushed – again – and looked down at his shoes. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now, shall we have a look at this essay?"

It took just over two hours to work through the entire thing, correct it and rewrite it on a fresh sheet of parchment, by which time the sun had begun to set. It was at that point that their stomachs decided to remind them that it was diner time.

Rolling up the essay and keeping it secure with some string, Remus packed it away in his bag. "Thanks again Lily. You're a life saver."

"It's nothing really. You just need to know where to look." She smiled. "To the Great Hall?"

Remus groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. "It's time to face the music, it would seem."

Lily laughed. "Don't worry. You've got me to protect you."

"Ah yes, my knight in shining armour!"

She slapped him across the arm playfully. "And don't you forget it, fair damsel!"

With one last laugh the two of them made their way down the stairs and into the Great Hall, ignoring the odd looks some of the other students sent their way as they sat together, along with the glares from three separate ends of the tables. As they tucked into their food and their conversation turned to Charms, they failed to notice the scheming glance sent their way from a certain shaggy haired boy.

**AN - Yay! Back to the normal length again! It would seem that the chapter without Lily wasn't all that popular, but that will _not_ put me off! There will be more!... Eventually :P**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was a struggle to write, but well worth it. As I'm _sure _ you can see, Remus has been pulled into a rather sticky situation! This is going to be so much fun... #smirks evily#**

**I know I still haven't gotten around to explaining how Sirius found out about the Kitchens, but it _will_ happen! Just be patient! But for now... Until next week!**


	5. Misunderstandings and Rivalries

**Misunderstandings and Rivalries**

The days that followed the incident by the Lake were anything but fun.

As expected the transformation that night had been more painful than usual, and the Wolf's anger had been riled because of it. Remus had woken the next morning with a broken arm, bite wounds anywhere the Wolf could reach and a splitting headache which he later discovered was due to a cracked skull and a fair amount of blood loss.

Of all of his friends, only Sirius and Lily had visited him in the Hospital Wing the next day.

Sirius had been sitting by his side, telling him about how James was being a dick and Peter was being a suck-up with not one brain between them, when the fiery read-head came storming in. When she'd seen him, she'd almost burst into tears.

"How _could_ they?" she kept asking. "They're your _friends_! What could make them do such a thing?"

Remus had been more than a little confused, to say the least, but when she started screaming at Sirius, telling him he had no right to be there 'after what he'd done', it had made things a little clearer.

It seemed that a rumour had begun to spread around the school that James, Sirius and Peter had cornered Remus after diner and beaten him to within an inch of his life. Though there wasn't a reason, James's cold demeanour whenever Remus's name was mentioned, along with his disappearance, was proof enough for the majority of the students.

Little to say, the bandages on his arms and legs didn't make it look too good.

After what had felt like hours of talking, Remus and Sirius had managed to convince Lily that Sirius, at least, had nothing to do with the invalid's current condition, though she was still sceptical of the other half of the Marauders.

Thanks to Madam Pomfrey's exceptional skills, Remus was able to leave the next day, but only if he didn't strain himself too much and came back immediately if he started to get a headache. Luckily, there was no reason for him to return, though he found himself wishing there was one.

The looks everyone was sending him – the sympathy, pity, and in some cases anger – made him feel like an exhibit in a zoo; some kind of animal for people to point and laugh at for their pleasure. It was exactly what he'd feared would happen. All this attention could only lead to one thing, and he wasn't sure he could take the ramifications of that.

Sirius had returned to James's side and had seemed to have reverted to his usual fun-loving self, but his smile barely reached his eyes sometimes, and he would always send a sorrowful look in Remus's direction if he was anywhere nearby. Lily, on the other hand, barely left him alone.

She was great really, brilliant even, keeping him company so that he wasn't alone to suffer the scrutiny, but her presence didn't do anything to sway James into seeing that there was nothing more than friendship between them. It soon became apparent that James wasn't the only one he had to convince though.

Severus Snape, the main target for James and Sirius's plots and schemes, had been glaring at Remus from across the Great Hall for days. It made him uncomfortable, feeling the Slytherin's eyes boring into the back of his head while his friend (or at least he _hoped_ he was still his friend) ignored his very existence, but it wasn't until Friday, after a week of painful silence and awkward moments, that the tension finally snapped.

Lessons had finished for the day, and diner had gone by without incident, so both Remus and Lily had decided to head towards the Library to get a head start on their homework – a habit that Remus had had to pick up since she started to accompany him – when the 'greasy git' blocked their way.

As soon as Lily noticed him, she brightened significantly. "Sev! Are you going to the Library too? Maybe you can join us!"

Snape sneered, his eyes were focused solely on Remus. "What are you doing with _him_?"

The werewolf sighed and tightened his grip on his bag. It seemed that the day wasn't going to end well.

"He's my friend." Lily replied, her voice losing its warmth as she frowned. "Is there a problem with that?"

"He's a Marauder!"

_Was_, Remus thought, though he decided it best not to say anything.

"So?"

Snape made an exasperated noise. "The Marauders… They're pigs! You said so yourself!"

She snorted. "Yes, and _all_ Slytherins are evil wizards in the making." Taking a deep sigh, she shook her head. "I was wrong, Sev. Remus isn't like the toerag and his groupies. And you should know that judging a book by its cover can only lead to misunderstandings and worse."

The boy flinched, a look of hurt in his eyes that Remus had never seen before. It was the look of barely hidden pain, and it made a lump of guilt swell in his gut; how had he never noticed the pain he and his friends had caused? Sure, it had been in the name of fun, but he was finding it difficult to remember the last time their pranks on Lily's friend didn't leave him feeling uneasy, no matter how hilarious it had been.

"I'm sorry."

The Slytherin blinked, surprise written all over his face as he and Lily turned to him.

"Remus, you've done nothing wrong…" the red-head started, but she was mistaken.

"I've done nothing, Lily, and that's worse than doing what James and Sirius were doing," he continued, closing his eyes. "I may not have been a part of the tricks they pulled on you, I may not have directed any of our pranks at you, but I didn't stop them when they did. I didn't do anything to help you. I laughed at you because I was too much of a coward to do otherwise." He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again, finding that Snape had become suspicious once more. "I'm sorry for failing to do what I could have. The hat put me in Gryffindor, but I have shown you none of the courage that's supposed to be a part of who I am."

Lily looked stunned, wide eyes staring at him and she barely breathed, but Snape was sneering, the hurt Remus had seen replaced by a look of hate that seemed to burn a fire in his soul.

"Sorry?" he scoffed. "Do you have any idea what kind of _torture_ I've been through because of your so called friends?"

"Sev!"

The two boys froze as her shout echoes down the hall, causing several students who had been nearby to focus their attention on them.

"Sev, how could you?" she continued in a much quieter voice, "After he apologised-"

"An apology isn't going to fix everything I've been through-"

"And I know that," Remus stepped in, "and I'm not asking that you forgive me, not right now, but I want you to know that I regret what's happened."

The greasy haired boy pursed his lips. "I see."

He simply stared at the taller boy for a few moments, examining his face for any sign that he was lying, before turning around and walking away.

"Severus!"

"I'll see you in potions Lily," he shouted over his shoulder before disappearing around a corner.

When the last of the Slytherin's black cloak vanished behind the wall, Remus let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding. "Well… That went better than expected."

"Eurgh! What is _wrong_ with him?!" Lily fumed, "I haven't talked to him for days and all he says is 'see you in potions'?"

"He's probably just been busy…"

"Yeah, the same way Robin's been busy, I'm sure." She sighed. "Why is everyone avoiding me?"

Remus shrugged. "Maybe it's because you've been spending most of your time recently hanging around with a tall, gangly boy who was supposedly beaten up by his best friends?"

One of Lily's eyebrows rose. "That sounded like a mouthful."

"Yeah, well…" He pulled on the strap to his bag. "Did you want to make a start on the homework or not?"

Lily shook her head. "Don't think you're getting away with it _that_ easily."

"Get away with what?" He put on the most innocent look he could as he started to head towards the Library again. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

She hit him on the arm lightly with a smile. "Moron."

"I'm serious!"

"I'm sure you are!" She shook her head. "Come on; let's see if we can make a start on Ancient Runes."

The Library, as usual, was near silent. Madam Beak always kept a close eye on the students who had decided to tuck themselves away in the small recesses and tucked away corners, knowing that they would be up to no good, so the two of them made sure they were in plain sight so she wouldn't worry. Their first encounter there was enough for them to know what she was like.

Ancient Runes, though a thoroughly fascinating subject, was not exactly easy. Having learnt both the alphabet and numerals made things easier to interpret things though, and much quicker to read.

It didn't take long for the two of them to settle into their work, quills scratching away at the parchment as they discerned what the carvings found in a cave off of the coast of Wales said and what the meaning behind them were. Unfortunately, the runes had been damaged over the years, so a fair bit of the task was guess work and interpretation, but that was the whole point of the exercise, or so Professor Maybourn had said.

Care of Magical Creatures always seemed easier to Remus, plus Professor Kettleburn was a lot of fun, his enthusiasm and eccentricity as contagious as a cold, even if he did only have one and a half of his original limbs. If anything, it made his lessons even more entertaining, and everything was much easier to learn because of it.

Resting his quill in his ink well, Remus looked over his work.

_… sits in this cave will… at the rising of the tide on summer's… This water will bring… to those who have the skills set down by…_

It was so infuriating! These blanks, no matter how hard he tried to figure them out, would not reveal themselves to him! Groaning, he let his head fall onto his arms in defeat.

Moments later, he felt something poking his head.

"Want some help?"

Peering through the curtain of hair that had fallen over his face, Remus found Lily's quill hovering over his head as she smiled sympathetically at him.

"Would you?"

She smirked. "Do you _really_ think I would leave you to suffer?"

"Oh, I don't know…" he replied, mirroring her grin.

Huffing, she stood and made her way around the table, taking the seat on his right. "Let me see." Passing his parchment over to her, he watched as she scanned the page, ridges appearing on her forehead as she frowned in concentration. "Hm… well you've translated everything correctly." She looked up at the book he'd been using and back down again. "What are you having trouble with exactly?"

"The blanks," he explained. "I can't figure out what the symbols could have been."

Lily nodded in comprehension. "Well, you just have to look at the location."

He frowned. "Location?"

She hummed in agreement. "You see, the carving was found…" she reached over to pull one of the books she'd been looking at towards them, "in this cave," she pointed at a sketch of a wide, cavernous area with a pool in the centre, "which becomes filled with sea-water on the high tide."

Remus nodded. "So… _The pool that sits in this cave will…. Fill_?"

"Exactly!" she beamed before pulling over another book. "And then there's the history." She pointed at the page she was on, giving him an expectant look.

Leaning over the text, he began to read it aloud. "_The communities found on the coast of Northern Wales, in the region of Colwyn, have been known to show some signs of possessing 'The Sight', especially around the Summer Solstice. However, this is constricted only to those of wizarding descent or who have shown signs of magic from an early age._" He blinked. "So… 'Summer's Solstice', 'the Sight' and 'their ancestors'?"

Lily shrugged. "Close enough. Whoever wrote these runes would have probably used words like 'forefathers' though."

He grinned. "Thanks Lily."

"You're welcome." She stood, collecting her books. "You'll just have to remember that not everything is in those runes. I won't be able to help you in the exams!"

Remus snickered. "I'll keep that in mind."

Just over an hour later, after refining the work for Ancient Runes and starting on Herbology, Madam Beak made one last sweep around her domain before ushering all of the younger students (meaning those in in the first three years) out so that they could all return to their dorms before their curfew.

Even though they both thought it was unfair, the two of them packed up their things and made their way back to the Common Room. When they reached their home away from home, they said their goodnights and separated for their dorms.

"I think you were really brave, apologising to Severus like that."

Remus blinked.

"Really." Lily smiled up at him. "You're braver than you think."

He smiled. "Thanks Lily."

She nodded. "Good luck in there, Remus," she said, smiling sadly at him as she turned away. "Goodnight."

"Thanks," he replied quietly, "you too."

Evenings in the boy's dorm had been painful since Sunday, and though nothing was ever said, the way James pointedly ignored Remus, and how Peter would scowl, hurt worse than any scathing words or remarks. The pity that Sirius sent his way only made him feel like some lost puppy that had been left out in the cold and didn't help at all.

Taking a deep breath, he made his way inside.

As usual, Tobias's curtains had been drawn closed, not a sound escaping from within, either meaning he was asleep already or, more likely, had cast a silencing charm to keep out whatever sounds the Marauders were to make. Peter was playing with a deck of cards on his bed, playing what looked like solitaire, while Sirius was looking through the most recent copy of _Rolling Stone_, a muggle magazine about politics and music, though Sirius tended to stick with the music.

James, on the other hand, was stood, leaning against his bed, glaring straight at him.

"Took you long enough."

Suddenly, he was the centre of attention, all eyes focused on him as James prowled across the length of the room to meet him, arms folding across his chest as he walked.

"I would never have thought it of you, Remus," James continued, a scowl carved into his features.

"James… There's nothing between us, I swear. We're just friends."

"Yeah right." Peter chipped in, his own arms crossed over his chest.

"You and Evans are a little too close to be 'just friends'."

"But it's true!"

Sirius pulled himself off of his bed and slammed his magazine down. "Come on James! Don't you think this has gone far enough? I mean, do you really think he would lie to your face about something like this?"

James frowned, examining Remus with scrupulous eyes. Moments later, he held out his hand.

Remus stared at it before raising his eyes back to his friend's face. For the first time in days, he was smiling at him.

"Friends, huh?" the chaser said with a grin, "Evans may not be my girl _yet_, but she will be. Even if I have to fight for her."

Raising an eyebrow, the werewolf took his hand. "Not that I see her in that way, but… you're on?"

James barked a laugh. "You've got your work cut out Moony! Evans won't be able to resist me!"

Sirius scoffed. "Like she hasn't been able to already."

"Sirius!"

Remus laughed. Oh how he had missed this.

As he made his way over to his bed, he made sure to duck any pillows that were flung in his direction as the two boys fought. Peter simply stared at the three of them, completely confused.

"What just happened?"

**AN – I was hoping to use **_**Kerrang!**_** As the magazine Sirius was reading, but I found out that would have been 7 years too early (damn it!). Ah well...**

**Not overly pleased with this chapter. It was supposed to be something else, but the characters got a little annoyed at me and decided that this was a better focus instead. Nothing worse than uncooperative characters... I hope you guys liked it though. There were moments which were a lot of fun to write, as always :)**

**Thanks again to _i never did tell you_ for beta reading again! And _Slytherin Cat_ for all the help. You're both the best XD**


	6. Wallflowers

**Wallflowers**

Breakfast the next morning was an odd affair. Remus was sitting with his friends again, which gained them a lot of not-so-secret glances and confused looks – not that they really cared of course – Snape kept sending the Marauders (or Remus at least) stranger looks than usual, and James had gained a new tactic in trying to swoon Lily; comparing.

"Come on Evans!" James pleaded for what felt like the hundredth time. "Hogsmeade is only a few hours away, and you can't go alone!"

"Who says I was going, you big ignoramus?" she huffed, not looking up from her cereal.

"What?! And lose your chance to spend the day with a handsome quidditch player?"

One of her eyebrows rose. "Oh, you mean Griffiths?"

James gasped and put his hand over his heart in exaggerated hurt. "Evans! How could you! He's a Hufflepuff!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "How very observant of you."

"First Remus and now Griffiths? What has the world come to?" he continued. "I am _much_ more handsome that _either_ of them, _and_ more skilled on a broom!"

"As if I care," she snorted.

He shook his head. "Just you wait, Evans! I _will_ show how much better I am than them!"

The other three Marauders had laughed about this all the way back to the Common room, leaving Lily to be completely confounded over the whole situation on her own. However, she was soon joined by a fellow third year who needed help with their potions assignment, so she soon forgot about the whole thing.

It wasn't long after the whole ordeal that Remus found himself stood in a small crowd of students waiting for the coaches to arrive, trying not to get separated from his friends as everyone else tried to find theirs.

As always, James and Sirius were talking about 'the beautiful Madam Rosmerta', the wonders of Spintwitches quidditch-ware, and, of course, what new items would be stocked in Zonko's Joke Shop, the life blood of their pranks. Peter seemed rather preoccupied with a small list he had insisted on making, as he always forgot to get something every time he went. Remus, on the other hand, was thinking about what he should get for his parents.

His father's birthday was in three weeks, and though this wasn't the last trip before-hand, he always liked to have plenty of time to spend on choosing his presents. It was also Mother's Day in a month, which Hope, his mum, had always enjoyed, and she was considerably easier to buy presents for. Having only been introduced to the wizarding world when she met his father, Hope was fascinated by everything it had to offer.

Perhaps another record… and something from Honeydukes. She always seemed to like their Glacial Snow Flakes.

Suddenly, Remus was pulled from his thoughts by a small cheer; the carriages had arrived!

As always, the teachers warned them not to go in-between the coaches and go in groups of three or more in each so they could use as few coaches as possible. They would never explain why, for either of those things, but Remus had a theory:

The coaches were always a certain distance apart, about a meter longer than the length of a horse, but there never seemed to be anything there, the ground was always scuffed and broken after the carriages had gone and he _swore_ he heard something sneeze. There were only a few magical animals that could be invisible to the human eye – Demiguise and Tebos both being able to become invisible at will – but it was only the Thestral that was large enough, or strong enough, to pull a carriage.

He didn't share this with anyone, knowing that the creatures were feared by most and seen as bad omens, but he wasn't entirely sure if it was true or not anyway, as he was unable to see them. Not that he was complaining, since the only way you _could_ see them was if you had witnessed death. One or two of the students would glance at the spaces warily, so Remus knew that they could see them, as well as most of the teachers.

Maybe he could ask Professor Kettleburn about it.

Climbing into the carriage with his friends, he pushed his thoughts from his mind and let their conversation wash over them.

James was mostly talking about how the Chudley Cannons had changed their motto the year before last, a favourite topic of his recently, while Sirius was trying to change the topic to the Broadmoor brothers and how they were 'the best beaters in the world', even after they had left the Falmouth Falcons. Neither Remus nor Peter were much fans of the game, so they only nodded and smiled for a bit before talking about what they would buy that day.

Time seemed to fly by as they travelled, the small village soon coming into sight as they crested the hill one moment, and the next they were stopped just outside, the door swinging open as it always did.

Jumping out with a quick _whoop_, Sirius landed on the cobbled floor with a flourished twist, a grin pasted on his face. "Come on James!" He exclaimed. "Zonko's is waiting for us! Don't want to keep it _too_ long, do we?"

With a grin, the messy-haired boy followed his friend. "See you in the Three Broomsticks!"

And with that, they were gone, running down the path to their favourite shop.

Stepping off the carriage himself, Remus waited for Peter, who was busy examining his list again, before taking in a deep breath.

For some reason, Hogsmeade always seemed to smell of pine needles, freshly upturned soil and the sweet aroma of Butterbeer. It was an odd combination, but it was always a comforting smell, and it made him feel safe.

While he was taking in the wonderful scent, Peter had begun to walk off. "I need to look for this stuff," he said, "so I'll meet you later."

"Yeah, see you later."

The smaller boy smiled. "Good luck with the presents."

Remus grinned. "Thanks. You too."

With one last smile, Peter turned away and started to hum to himself.

And so, once again, Remus was alone. It wasn't exactly unusual for the four of them to split up on a Hogsmeade trip, each having their own errands to run, before meeting up at the Three Broomsticks around an hour before they had to leave. However, he would have appreciated a little help this time. He had _no_ idea what to get.

Hoping he would be able to find something in one of his comfort zones, he made his way to Tomes and Scrolls, pointedly ignoring the gramophone sat in the Dervish & Banges shop window. He was determined not to waste _any_ time longing after the exquisite device today.

As soon as he made it into the book shop, he breathed a sigh of relief, allowing the warm air to wash over him as he took in the familiar sight of rows upon rows of books, scrolls and published essays of varying ages. Giving the woman behind the counter a quick wave, he soon found himself deep in the shelved haven.

Running his fingers over the wood of the ledges, Remus began to read the titles of the newer books: _A Good day in Haverthawn_, _100 Ways to Cast a Curse_, _The Legend of Morgose_…

Remus shook his head.

As great as these books were, none of them looked like something either of his parents would read. Moving on to the next shelf, he hoped there would be something there, but it turned out to be the children's section. He knew _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ were exactly the kind of thing he would get his mother, but she had already read the book to him a hundred times as a child, so she knew the tales just as well as he did, and it was doubtful that his father would be interested in anything like that.

Row after row, shelf after shelf, he seemed to be coming up empty, the only thing in his arms being a book on rare magical creatures which had a fairly large section on Thestrals.

Making one last sweep of the aisles, he was about to make his way over to the counter for his book when he noticed a familiar figure crouching next to the children's books.

"Lily?"

Almost immediately, the girl looked up, blinking in confusion for a few moments before smiling. "Remus! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

She stood, looking back at the shelves again. "I was looking for a present for my mum. It's Mother's Day in a few weeks and I thought she would like a copy of _Beedle the Bard_. I'm told it's a great book."

Remus smirked. "It is." He looked over the shelf himself, soon finding it around the area he had remembered seeing it before handing it over to her. "My favourite tale was always _The Fountain of Fair Fortune_. I think I made my parents read it to me a thousand times when I was younger."

"I never got to read these before. It was only things like _Goldilocks and the Three Bears_, or _Rumpelstiltskin_."

"_Sleeping Beauty_ and _Hansel and Gretel_."

"Exactly!" she grinned, beaming up at him.

He nodded. "Yeah. My mum insisted that I know all the stories she was brought up with, about gallant knights and trapped princesses, corrupt kings and evil witches and step-sisters." He smiled at the memories it conjured up. "It was definitely confusing, being told in some stories that magic was bad, and others that it wasn't."

"It sounds like it." She looked back at the book in her hands again before returning her gaze. "So, what _are_ you doing here?"

Remus chuckled. "Believe it or not, for the same reason as you. It's my dad's birthday soon as well, so I thought I might find something, but it doesn't look like there's anything either of them would want here."

"Then what about that?" she asked, pointing at his arms.

He shook his head. "Personal research."

"Ah." She flipped through a few pages of her book, stopping every so often until she reached the tale of the Fountain of Fortune. "So… What's this story about exactly?"

He glanced down at the page, taking note of the title and smiled. "It's about three witches who go on a journey to find a Fountain that allows one person a year to win 'fair fortune forevermore'. One is sick of a disease no healer could treat, hoping to find a cure, another had been humiliated and robber, hoping to relieve her hopelessness and poverty, and the last had lost the love of her life, hoping to cure her grief and longing.

"They decided to go together, believing their chances would be greater together, and they go towards the garden where the Fountain can be found. It is surrounded by vines though, and the third witch gets caught. When she tries to pull herself out, she gets tangled in the armour of a Muggle knight, and all four of them get pulled through. They find themselves in the garden, and the knight introduces himself as Sir Luckless, and that he was going to abandon his quest for the Fountain. The third witch scolds him for giving up, and tells him to join their group.

"I won't go into details of everything else that happens, but by the end, the first witch gets cured by the second, who realises she can regain her honour and get out of poverty through her skills as a healer, and the third witch and Sir Luckless fall in love, the knight admitting to himself he truly is brave after all. The four leave the garden after reaching the Fountain and have long, happy lives, never realising the Fountain's waters weren't enchanted at all."

Lily sighed. "What a wonderful story."

Remus hummed, looking down at his own book again. "Anyway, I should probably find my parents something."

"Does it have to be a book?"

He blinked. "Well, no… but I wouldn't know what to get them."

"Hmm…" she tapped an index finger against her lips. "I think I might have an idea. If you don't mind, of course?"

The werewolf visibly slumped. "Help would be _greatly_ appreciated."

The two of them paid for their books shortly after before making their way out. Remus let the red-head lead, and was mildly surprised when he found them stood outside of Dogweed and Deathcap.

"A Herbology shop?" he asked, perplexed.

Lily simply grinned. "You'd be surprised what you might find in places like this."

"I suppose I'll take your word for it."

Giggling, she pushed past him and through the door, holding it open for him. With a quiet huff, he followed her inside.

Flowers and plants of a wide range of colours and sentience lined the walls and hung from baskets from the roof, some reaching out towards them, others contained in caged boxes while yet more just sat there and looked pretty, or deadly. There were patches of mushrooms on the ground, a small pond in the middle where several kinds of weeds and reeds grew, and the whole place had a strange, sticky, muddy yet sweet smell that made him cringe. It was the vines that were hanging down from the ceiling that caught his attention the most though, each branch holding different coloured leaves, one or two coloured in such a way that made them look like eyes.

"Come on," Lily said, grabbing his hand and dragging him around the various muddy patches until they reached the desk on the other side of the room. Behind it stood a rather jolly looking man, though the skin on his arms was blotchy and scarred – no doubt from all the work he'd done with the plants. "Hello."

"Good morning young madam!" the man exclaimed cheerfully, "What might I do for you this fine day?"

She smiled. "I was wondering if you would have any dried flowers."

"Of course! Would this be as potions ingredients, edible, or fragrant?"

She looked at Remus, tilting her head.

Dried flowers? Not exactly something he would have considered, but it was such a wonderful idea. "Fragrant, I think."

The man smiled again. "Of course. I'll just be a few minutes, if you'll bear with me. And don't feed the cabbages!"

Before Remus could ask what the man had meant, he was gone, the door beside the counter – which he noticed was covered in what looked like daffodils, only blue – swinging shut with a quiet _click_.

"Er… did you know that cabbages can eat things?"

Lily shrugged. "Nope."

He nodded. "Huh…"

Looking around, he tried to see what cabbages the shop assistant had been talking about, but he couldn't find them. By the time he found something he _thought_ were cabbages, the creak of the door pulled him back to the counter again.

"You're lucky!" the man exclaimed, dropping a few boxes on the desk, "There was a delivery yesterday, so it's all fresh." Pulling the top box off of the pile, he opened it up to reveal burgundy and milky coloured petals while a strong scent that made Remus blink back tears. "_These_ are four o'clocks. Obviously, they're very pungent, so, I would suggest you only get this for covering foul odors."

Lily hummed in agreement.

He moved on to the next box. "_This_ is Chocolate Cosmos. _Much_ softer than the four o'clocks, as I'm sure you can tell." Inside sat sprigs of dried chocolate brown flowers, tied together with strands of straw.

Breathing in through his nose, Remus smelt the light vanilla scent the box contained and smiled. His mum would definitely like this.

"Dried rose petals are always _very_ popular of course," he continued, opening the next box, "along with lavender." The last box's lid slid off and was placed on the pile. "And, of course, if you want some _live_ flowers, or some seeds, I could see what I could find."

Remus looked over the boxes again, frowning as he thought. What was it his mother liked again?

"You don't happen to have any wallflowers, do you?" he asked.

The salesman nodded. "Ah, the scent of heaven itself! You have a good nose."

Remus smiled. "No, but my mum does."

"I see. A present?"

He nodded.

"Good lad." The man said, a strange look passing over his features before the smile returned. "I'll go find one then, shall I?"

"Yes, thank you."

With a nod, the man was off, searching through the shop front, avoiding the vines that were reaching out to him as he looked over various flowers. Soon, he returned with a small potted plant, small, long leaves sticking out in a small bush wile long stems rose up and held dozens of four petal purple flowers. The scent that it produced truly was heaven.

"It looks beautiful, Remus," Lily exclaimed, her eyes soft.

He nodded. "Would it be possible to deliver it?"

"There's a charge of fifteen Sickles, but it's not a problem."

"Then I would like it delivered please."

The man nodded and pulled out a clip board from under the counter. "Just fill out the form and specify a date for delivery and we'll get everything done."

Picking up the quill provided, Remus smiled. His mother was going to _love_ her present this year. Once the form had been filled in, he handed the board back. "Thank you. And could I have a sprig of the Chocolate Cosmos?"

"Certainly."

Transactions made and everything paid for, the two students left the shop with a small paper bag and smiles on their faces.

"That really was a beautiful gift Remus." Lily said as she once again took the lead.

"It's just…" he sighed. "I remember my mum talking about them when I was younger, about how they were always her favourite because they were so simple to look at, and yet had one of the most beautiful smells."

The red-head smiled. "She sounds lovely."

He nodded. "She is."

**AU - Wow! Had next to _no_ time to write this chapter and I had to cut it off early! This is going to be a two parter it would seem.**

**Every plant that Remus looks at - the dried and the wallflower - are real flowers you can probably find in floral shops and garden centres most of the year. Obviously, the Chinese Chomping Cabbages are a part of the Harry Potter universe. Very fun to write into this though._  
_**

**Thanks again to _i never did tell you_ and _Slytherin Cat_ for helping, and I look forward to working with you next time.**

**So, I guess I'll see you guys next week with part 2!**


	7. Tea and Exploding Bonbons

**Tea and Exploding Bonbons**

Though the streets were fairly busy, it was easy to get around. Most students tended to cluster together on street corners, or run from one shop to another as quickly as possible (Remus was sure that he caught sight of Peter dashing into Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop earlier), so the pair of Gryffindor third years were able to weave in and out of them with relative ease.

"So, _Evans_, where are you taking me?" the tall boy asked with a smirk.

Lily chuckled. "Well, I _was_ going to tell you, but then you had to go and make it a surprise."

"Oh? And what made you change your mind?"

She grinned. "Evans."

Remus sighed, shaking his head. "I should have known."

"Your loss."

He shrugged. "I don't know. I always kind of liked surprises."

"Well, we're almost there."

Looking up, Remus tried to find what shop she was talking about, but the only places ahead were The Magic Neep greengrocers and Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. "Uh… almost where?"

Lily stopped and turned to face him. "Does your dad like tea?"

He blinked. "You're not serious."

"Deadly."

Remus frowned and turned to face the dreaded, _pink_, shop.

Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop was known as 'the haunt for happy couples' for a reason. It seemed that _every_ couple in Hogwarts had been on a date here at least once during their relationship – for reasons that Remus was sure he would _never_ understand – and was only frequented by those in said relationships, or members of the public who really liked tea.

Having only glanced through the windows once out of curiosity, Remus wasn't entirely sure what was inside, but he could remember the gaudy furniture and what looked like a girl trying to eat her boyfriend's face off.

"No."

"Oh come _on_ Remus!"

"No!"

"It's not that bad!"

He stared at her.

"… Well, maybe it is… but we don't have to go in there for long."

"We don't have to go in there at all!"

Lily huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you have a better idea, please, do share."

He made to reply, but found he didn't have an answer. Closing his mouth, he looked back down the street, eyes flitting from shop to shop, searching for another option. It never presented itself.

With a great sigh, he turned back to his red-headed friend.

"Fine," he moaned, gritting his teeth. "But if we don't find anything in fifteen minutes, we leave."

Lily's face lit up like it was Christmas come early. "You won't regret it."

"I surely hope not."

And so, taking one last breath of freedom, he followed her inside.

There was what was probably meant to be a melodious ringing as they entered, the bell above the door announcing their presence as they stepped in from the warm outdoors and into the cool interior. However, the sound was somewhat more hollow and dull than what it had probably originally been from over-use.

The perfume of multi flavoured teas and coffees mixed with the fragrant rose that wafted up from scented candles, and though it wasn't overpowering, it was a close and sticky smell that clung to the hairs in your nose. Remus couldn't help but sneeze.

"Bless you!" came a high, feminine voice from the left, and a napkin was held in front of him. Taking the proffered item, he proceeded to examine its owner.

The woman before him was at least as old as Madam Rosmerta, only her hair was held in a tight bun, and her robes were the strangest shade of pinky purple he had ever seen.

"Um… thank you," he said, wiping his nose with the soft fabric.

The woman smiled brightly. "You are most welcome." She clapped her hands together. "Now, are the two of you looking for a table?"

"Oh, uh…"

"No, thank you," Lily interrupted, stepping forwards. "We were hoping to look at your tea leaves."

The woman squeaked – a sound that neither of the students would have thought the woman to be capable of – and swiftly turned towards the back of the café, weaving in and out of the tightly packed tables.

"Oh, I haven't had someone looking for personal teas in _weeks_!" she exclaimed as they tried to follow. "How wonderful!"

Squeezing past a Hufflepuff couple seated near to the pink coated wall, the woman opened a door that had been lost in the patterned wallpaper until she had revealed it.

"Come along!" she chimed. "My wares are just in here."

Slipping past the couple, the pair soon found themselves in a surprisingly airy room, windows letting the early afternoon light flood in and illuminating shelves of tin boxes, each with a different design decorating them.

"So," the woman said, clapping her hands together, "is there a specific tea you were looking for?"

Looking up at some of the tins, he tried to think of what kind of tea his father would like. All the tea he could remember him having was some from the supermarket with a bit of sugar in.

"I'm not too sure," he said. "I just know that it should be black and a little sweet."

The woman hummed, tapping her lips with her finger. "I might have just the thing." Turning to a shelf on her left, the pink lady pulled a blue box down from its place. Handing it to Remus, she smiled. "This one is one of the most popular teas I sell. It's the Royal London Blended. Not exactly sweet, but it's one of those teas that can be drunk at any time of the day."

He examined the container, opening the lid and smelling the leaves. "Maybe… something a little sweeter."

The woman nodded, putting the box back. "How about…" She pulled out a long, thin red stripped box, blowing the dust off the lid. "Russian Caravan. It… Oh wait, maybe not." She put the box back and retrieved another, this one was a light orange with leaves printed over it. "Orange Grove, a tangy, refreshing tea with a wonderful orange taste."

Remus tilted his head, examining the box before smelling the leaves. "Maybe… I'm not thoroughly convinced he'd like it though."

The woman blinked, sending a glance towards the girl at his side. "He?"

"Yes. My dad. It's for his birthday."

She stared for a moment, but then she chuckled. "Of course! How silly of me."

Lily frowned at that, but remained silent. The comment had obviously irked her in some way. Remus would have to ask her later.

Once again, the woman retrieved a box from the shelves, this one was a plain grey with blue flowers dotted around it. "I don't know why I didn't pick this one up first. The Lady Grey is a saccharine Earl Grey, so it still has that smoky taste, along with the sweetness of the mallow blossoms, which is one of the reasons why it's known as Earl Grey Blue Flowers."

Taking hold of the box, he caught a whiff of the leaves and smiled.

Somehow, it reminded him of his father; the smoke from his pipe and the kindness of his nature filling his mind as the scent filled his senses.

He nodded. "Perfect. I'll take it."

The woman beamed.

Less than five minutes later, both Lily and Remus emerged from the shop, victorious.

"You see, I _told_ you it wouldn't be so bad."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes you did."

She grinned. "And you got your dad his present!"

"Yes well…" he sighed, as he looked down at the new bag in his hands, "promise me you'll never drag me back in there."

She scoffed. "As if I would. "

"Uh huh." One of his eyebrows rose. "Well, since I've followed _you_ everywhere, I think it's my turn to be the leader."

Lily chuckled. "Lead the way."

The walk down the street was a relatively short one, Remus's steps having grown longer in his haste to escape the pink shop, and soon they were stood outside his favourite shop in the whole of Hogsmeade.

"Honeydukes. I should have known."

"It's the best shop here!" He grinned. "What did you expect?"

She laughed. "No arguments from me!"

With one long stride, he stood in front of the door, pushing it open with a bow. "My lady."

Lily's laugh grew louder. "That's 'Dame Evans' to you, my lord damsel."

He groaned. "I was hoping you'd have forgotten that."

"Not a chance."

Stepping into the cool air of the sweet shop, the two soon found themselves surrounded by sights and smells that made their mouths water in anticipation.

Tables covered in bubbling cakes, multi coloured sweets and bowls filled with small balls of varying sizes and shades pink were dotted around the room, small crowds of students surrounding them. Swirling lolly-pops hung from racks on the wall, while a cabinet full of chocolate frogs and other boxed goods sat next to the glass fronted counter.

Jars filled with the rainbow sat on shelves behind Ambrosius Flume, the owner of the confectionary, who was busy with several customers. Powdered sugars and sherbets sat in odd shaped glass containers, their lids open and filling the room with their sweet scent…

Sugary paradise.

Remus felt his body relax as he meandered around, examining each of the tooth decaying wonders. There was only one true love for him though, and that was chocolate.

Rows upon rows of the luscious substance lined the wall at the back, in the form of cauldrons, skeletons and wands, held upright by hooks and foam stands. One or two Chocolate Frogs that had managed to get free were jumping around, one diving into the barrel of Berty Bott's Every Flavoured Beans (now with the new dragon scale flavour) and sending a few beans flying, much to some of its audience's amusement.

It was the large slabs, though, that held his attention.

Honeydukes Best Chocolate, he found, was best in this form, wrapped in silver foil and paper, or in plain brown paper bags after being cut from the blocks on the main desk.

It wasn't that he didn't _like_ the other forms the divine food, it was just that he preferred his chocolate to remain immobile – though his collection of cards had filled several biscuit tins, especially since Sirius had found it necessary to send him almost an entire crate of Chocolate Frogs for Christmas one year. No doubt to annoy his family, which seemed to be to be his only goal in life apart from the pranks.

However, Remus would have to wait for that treat. There were other things he had to get first.

He knew his dad always loved Salt Water Taffy, though he could never understand why he would eat something that would make you so thirsty, and Glacial Snow Flakes were next to irresistible for his mum. And perhaps he should get something for his friends as well…

It didn't take long to find the taffy, the green and red paper packaging bulging slightly from how it had been overstuffed, and a box of Snow Flakes was easily obtainable from one of the tables.

The Marauders, however, were somewhat more difficult to choose for.

James adored Pumpkin Fizz, but after their week of non-verbal disagreements, Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans seemed more appropriate. Perhaps he'd get a vomit flavoured one. Peter was a fan of chocolate as well, but he always had a penchant for Fudge Flies. Only a small packet though. Sirius, however, had been a lot more understanding. But it was always fun to watch him squirm. _Exploding Bonbons_… yes.

"You think you've got enough there, Remus?" Lily asked as he walked up to her.

He laughed. "If there's no chocolate, then no."

She shook her head. "There's more to sweets than just chocolate, you know."

"That might be true, but it's the only part that I care about." He grinned. "I'm just getting some things for my parents and friends. Do you want anything?"

"Oh, no, I couldn't-"

"I insist!" Remus declared, putting on a posh accent. "After all, Dame Evans has saved me once again from the perils of shopping with her _vast_ knowledge. I must repay my debt."

Lily giggled. "Well, if you insist…"

He nodded.

"Hmm…" she tapped her lips as she looked around. After a few moments of searching she came across her prize and pointed. "I think a few of those would suffice, my lord."

Following her finger, Remus chuckled. "Jelly Slugs?"

"Indeed."

"As my lady Dame wishes."

Ten minutes later, the two of them were stood outside, large bags with Honeydukes written across them in bold pink and green lettering.

"Do you want to get some lunch?" Lily asked. "I haven't eaten since breakfast, and I think I've got enough for some food."

Checking his own situation, he agreed, and they made their way to the Three Broomsticks.

The inn was buzzing with life, many of the regulars sitting in their usual seats, reading the paper or digging in to their meals while a number of students milled around, clutching cooled glasses of Butterbeer and soda. It took them a while to find a table, and even longer to get to the bar to make their order.

"Hello dearies!" Madam Rosmerta exclaimed when she noticed them. "What can I get you?"

"Could I have the… fish and chips and a Butterbeer please?" Lily asked, looking over the menu behind the bar.

"And I'll have the shepherd's pie, with chips if that's okay, and another Butterbeer." Remus finished with a shy smile.

"Of course dear." The barmaid turned to a window into the kitchens. "Jerry! Fish an' chips and a shepherd's pie with chips!"

"Right you are!" came a reply from the steam, making the two students smile.

"And two Butterbeers…" the young woman poured two glasses from the tap and set them on the bar, the foam spilling over the edges a little. "Do you have a table?"

Remus nodded. "The one by the fireplace."

"Righty-oh. Well, everything comes to two Galleons, twelve Sickles and eight Knuts."

They paid their shares and, with a quick nod, made their way back to their seats, drinks in hand. While they waited for their food, they exchanged sweets, Lily having bought Remus some more chocolate without him realising, and talked about their day.

When their plates were set in front of them, they dissolved into a comfortable silence, Lily squeezing the lemon provided over the fish as Remus scooped up some of the mashed potato and minced beef with a chip.

"So…" the boy said, popping another loaded chip into his mouth. "What happened in the tea shop?"

Lily blinked, confused, her chewing slowing for a moment before she swallowed. "I don't understand."

Remus shrugged, picking up another chip. "You just seemed a little annoyed, when the lady got confused about who I was buying the tea for."

She nodded slowly. "Oh." She stared at her plate for a while, stirring the tartar sauce with her fork. "It's just… Everyone automatically things that a boy and a girl are dating if they're hanging out with each other on their own. It's _really_ annoying."

He smiled. "I know what you mean."

Her fork fell onto her bed of chips as she held her fists against her temples, elbows leaning on the table. "Why won't anyone believe that we're just friends?"

"Because…" he shrugged, "because it's easier to label than to accept things as they are."

Lily looked up at him, surprised.

"Plus everyone loves a good rumour."

She shook her head. "And he does it again."

Remus frowned.

Lily just laughed and returned to her food, stuffing a slice of battered cod into her mouth so she couldn't say any more.

It wasn't until they were almost done, their plates nearly empty and their glasses only holding an inch or two of ginger liquid, that anything else happened. Of course, it had to be loud, sudden and most _definitely_ attention seeking.

"Oh, Madam Rosmerta! Beautiful angel!"

"Temptress from the heavens!"

"Sweet lady of-"

"I suggest you quit your pining and shut up," the bar woman snapped with a smirk, "or I might just have to throw you boys out."

By now, most of the inn's occupants were watching, and Remus groaned as two familiar faces caught his eye.

Why? _Why_ did it have to be them?

"Our deepest of apologies, Lady Rosmerta," Sirius said with a repentant bow, his hair falling in his face.

"We meant not to offend," James continued, copying his friend.

The witch just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Now get gone."

The two quickly scurried away from the bar and into the dining area and towards their audience, grins spread across their faces.

Remus just sighed, and waited. It was only a matter of moments before they…

"Remus?"

Sooner than expected.

"Hey, guys." He replied, keeping his eyes on the last of his pie, scraping the last to the mash together before scooping it up.

"Remus!" Sirius repeated, making his way over. "And Evans too!"

"Evans?"

Lily sighed. "_Yes_, Potter."

"But… I thought you weren't coming!"

Sirius scoffed, swinging his arm over the other boy's shoulder. "Come on Jamie, you should know better than to think she was telling the truth. She's a girl!"

The red-head's eyes narrowed. "I think I resent that."

The shaggy haired boy barked out a laugh. James, on the other hand, just continued to look confused.

"You spent the whole day with _her_?"

Remus's head hit the table. "Why? _Why_ in Merlin's name am I friends with you?"

"Because you love us," came Sirius's voice.

He groaned, digging his fingers into his hair.

"Come on James. Let's get some chairs."

"But… but Siri-!"

"Come on!"

And then they were gone… for a minute, only to return with two stools which they set down a little more harshly than necessary.

"So!" James exclaimed, making Remus raise his head, "What have you two been up to? Exploring? Talking about how awesome I am?"

"Oh God, you are so full of yourself!" Lily threw her last chip at him. "For your information, you didn't come up _once_. Remus and I spent the day buying presents for everyone. _Including you_, you selfish toerag."

Sirius's face lit up. "Presents?"

Remus glared at the girl across from him, who sent him a sweet, innocent smile.

Whoever said that Lily Evans was a sweet, young, studious girl, they were wrong. She was a devious, evil little vixen who hid her true side beneath a polite mask.

"Uh, yes," he said, bringing out his bag of sweets. Pulling out the box of _Every Flavoured Beans_, he glanced at his accomplice, who subtly motioned towards Sirius. He had to keep himself from smiling. _Oh_ she was good. "I got this for you." He handed it to the eager boy who immediately tore it open.

"Ah wu oo for-eh-fa!" he exclaimed after stuffing most of them in his mouth.

Snickering, Remus dug into his bag again and pulled out the plain paper bag, the _pièce de résistance._

"And I got these," he handed them over to James, "for you."

The Chaser examined the bag carefully before pulling out one of the small red balls. "Uh…"

"They're just gum balls, Potter," Lily said with a roll of her eyes. "They're not going to kill you."

Looking a little more comfortable at the reassurance, he pulled out a few more and dropped them on his tongue with a grin.

And then he bit down.

"Ho-y shi-! Ma mouf!" James yelled, his stool flying across the room as he clutched at his jaw, the three other occupants clutching their stomachs as they whooped with laughter.

"Oh my God!" Sirius gasped, "Evans, you are my new best friend!"

"Siwiu!" James exclaimed, spittle flying everywhere before moaning. "Ah fink ma jaw i' fawin- ogh."

They simply continued to laugh until they left.

James was never going to live this down.

**AN – This chapter was a LOT of fun to write. And so Lily performs her first prank with an accomplice... XD**

**I found most of the teas on 'Tea Source', if you want to have a look, and once again, the wiki proved incredibly useful when it came to Honeydukes. "****Apparently, ****Scabbers ****the ****rat ****enjoyed them, since, during the party celebrating ****Gryffindor****'s victory in ****quidditch ****over ****Ravenclaw ****in ****February ****1994****, ****Ron Weasley ****announced that if his pet rat, Scabbers, had still been alive, he could have enjoyed some Fudge Flies, which were one of his favourite sweets."**

**The price of the meals and food would come to the price of £12.94 (GBP) if you wanted to know.**

**Thanks once again to _i never did tell you_, and I hope you enjoyed! Until next Monday!**


	8. The Trick Step

**The Trick Step**

Over the next fortnight, it was safe to say that things got a little more interesting.

A prank war had been called – a regular occurrence among the Marauders – but this time, a new target had been acquired; Lily Evans.

James had set off several dung bombs in her classes, sending the students and professors alike running for the corridors and the outside world, where paint bombs and sticking charms waited for them. Sirius had somehow convinced Robin to collect some of her room-mate's underwear and give it to him, which was later found hanging from various places across the school, much to Lily's embarrassment. Peter's pranks were a little more sedate; a mouse being dropped in her bag to find later, and, the classic, exploding quill.

The only thing Remus felt he could get away with relatively unscathed was to turn Lily's hair into an untameably curly mess during breakfast one morning. She had been a little annoyed, but managed to tie it back as she sent him a sly grin, along with the jelly legs jinx, which made walking to his first lesson incredibly difficult. However, this was nothing compared to what his friends had to suffer through.

Much as he had suspected, Lily had hidden her devious side well, and it was their mistake for knocking at its door.

James spent several days in the Hospital Wing after 'somehow' managing to ingest a small amount of the Noxious potion, causing him to miss not just one, but _two_ of his precious quidditch practices (which the others never heard the end of), Sirius's entire collection of Rolling Stone magazines disappeared, only to fall from the Great Hall's rafters during the feast on St. George's day, and Peter's quills all suddenly became unable to hold any ink for an entire weekend, and his shoes sang the Hogwarts song when he wore them without any socks, all without getting caught.

All in all, Remus felt he was very lucky indeed.

Sirius had found it all a good bit of fun, though he was thoroughly put out by the fact that his little piece of rebellion had been stolen away, and had congratulated Lily on her retaliation. Peter had vowed to never again prank a girl, claiming they were all terrifying and didn't understand how anyone could like them.

Young Master Potter, on the other hand, had decided that this meant that she was destined to be with him, even though she had already been before – at least to James anyway.

"How could she not be?" he'd argued one night. "We have so much in common!"

Sirius scoffed, earning him a burning glare.

"Alright then, tell us," Remus requested, "what similarities are there between you?"

The boy shrugged. "Well, I'm handsome-"

"How modest."

"- and she's pretty. I'm a genius-"

Sirius chuckled quietly, smothering his laughter with a pillow.

"- and she's smart. We're both pranksters-"

"I would have called that retaliation."

"- and we're both in Gryffindor!"

Little to say, apart from Peter, the others were not impressed; Sirius because it all just sounded too funny, and Remus because not only did he find the reasons mostly wrong, but that they weren't the _right_ reasons. In his opinion, people shouldn't be together because _one_ of them thought they should be, but both, and it was blatantly obvious that Lily still wanted nothing to do with the 'toerag'.

Now, with the end of April in sight, most of the students were beginning to worry about presents for Mother's Day, though not all.

Regulus had somehow convinced Sirius to buy their mother a gift, crafting a list of things that she would appreciate and telling him not to deviate from it, knowing full well what his older brother thought of Walberga. He also made it quite clear that Sirius should address her as 'mother' and not 'cousin' when they sent it, even though they were both correct, due to how 'messed up' his family was.

James was more than happy to find something for his mum, and Peter would not stop talking about the roses he was planning on buying his ma.

Having already sorted his present a few weeks before, Remus elected to stay behind on that particular Hogsmeade trip, knowing Sirius would only drag him around with him to stave off the complete boredom that usually came with shopping for his family, and catch up with his homework.

"Are you sure you won't come?" Sirius asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

He sighed. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Positive? I could get you another crate of chocolate frogs."

Remus laughed. "Get going, or you'll miss the carriage!"

Sirius huffed. "Spoil sport."

He grinned.

"Alright then. I'll see you when I get back."

"When you get back," he agreed with a nod.

And with that, the older boy was gone, dashing through the rain to find James and Peter, who were already waiting in a carriage of their own. Pulling his coat a little tighter about himself, Remus made his way back into the safety and shelter of the school.

The Great Hall's light shone warmth onto the cold paving stones outside its doors, calling him in, but as much as he wanted to respond, he had work to do, and he'd left all his books next to his bed, some seven floors away. Perhaps it would be best to get a snack before heading up, as he didn't fancy the long trek to the Library after that climb.

Passing the hall, he made his way towards the basement, hoping he wouldn't be imposing upon the house elves too much by visiting them so soon after breakfast. However, before he could even reach the portrait of the fruit bowl, he found a familiar figure, staring longingly up at a portrait of a loving family, sat around a table heaped with food.

"Snape?"

The greasy haired boy's head snapped to face him, his hand diving into his pocket in search for his wand. "You! What are _you_ doing here?"

Remus raised his hands to show he meant no harm. "I could ask you the same thing."

Snape scoffed. "Like I would tell a Marauder anything."

Remus frowned, but said nothing. It would seem that he wouldn't be able to get into the Kitchens any time soon. "Look, I can go. I didn't know that you'd be down here-"

"Yes. And now everyone will."

"I won't tell a soul."

The black haired boy shook his head a wry smile on his lips. "Potter has no soul."

Remus smirked. "Now, he may be careless, and stupid, and more than a little callous when it comes to certain people," he winced, "but I wouldn't go so far as to say he was _soul-less_."

Snape glared at him, but it was slowly softening into a look of curiosity.

"I promise. I won't tell anyone."

He waited for a moment, expecting a snarky come back, but when none came, he turned on his heel and started to make his way towards the stairs.

"Why?"

Remus froze.

"Why would you do that for me?"

With a sigh, he turned back. "I owe you."

Snape's lips twisted a little as he scrutinised the boy before him. "It's a start, I suppose." With one last glance at the portrait next to him, where the mother was sending him an encouraging smile, he sighed. "Don't let me stop you. I'm sure the house elves would be more than happy to make you something."

"Uh…" Remus blinked. "You… know about the Kitchens?"

The Slytherin grinned slyly. "Of course! If I hadn't been so careless, I doubt Black would have found out."

Remus stared. _That_ was how he found it? By following Snape? "He never said."

"Of course he didn't. Too proud to admit that he'd been bested by a Slytherin."

It did make a lot of sense, it had to be said. "I suppose a thank you is in order then."

"What?"

Remus smiled. "If you _hadn't_ been careless, then I would never have known where the Kitchens were. Or at least, not for a lot longer anyway."

Snape seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding. "True. But then you wouldn't be disturbing me, would you."

The Gryffindor winced again and brushed a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I'll get out of your hair."

"Yes. Please do."

Resisting the urge to smirk, Remus made his way past Snape as fast as he could without running before he tickled the pear. Once he had entered the giant expanse of a room beyond, he let out a breath and patted himself over.

No, nothing out of place. His hair was the same colour, he could still move properly and his tongue wasn't stuck to the roof of his mouth… Could it be that Snape hadn't hexed him? Surely not. And yet there was nothing to show that he had. In fact, both of their wands had remained tucked in their pockets throughout the whole experience.

Against all the odds, it appeared that both he and Snape had survived a conversation, even if it was a small one, without either of them having to go to the Hospital Wing. There wasn't even anyone there keep them from starting a duel, which would have happened once, but things had changed. He didn't know how or why, but they had.

"Master Lupin!" came a squeaky voice, pulling him from his thoughts. "Kipsy is honoured Master Lupin is in kitchens!"

Smiling, Remus looked down to find the tea towel clad house elf staring up at him with a look of awe in her eyes. "Hello Kipsy," he said, kneeling down so he could get to her eye level, "do you think I could ask a favour of you?"

The elf's cheeks took on a slightly pink shade and she looked down at her feet. "Kipsy is _always_ willing to serve, Master Lupin."

"And you always do a wonderful job."

The blush deepened. "Kipsy is thanking you."

"You're welcome," he said, "and you can call me Remus, if you'd like."

The elf blinked up at him. "Master Lupin is giving Kipsy permission to use his name?"

He nodded. "You have my permission."

Her face lit up. "Oh, Ma- Remus is kind! Yes indeed!" She bounced up and down on the spot for a moment, clutching her hands together. "What is Kipsy to thank him with?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could have some snacks for lunch," he said, feeling a slight pang in his chest for taking advantage of the situation, "I was going to stay in my room until diner today, and I didn't want to walk the length of the school and back for a sandwich."

Kipsy nodded. "I will make straight away! Remus is waiting here, and Kipsy be right back!"

With that, she dashed off further into the sea of elves, all busy sorting out dishes and saucepans and the like, some covered in bubbles while others floated through the air with dish cloths still scrubbing at them. It was complete and utter chaos, but everything seemed to have a place, and everyone a job.

A few minutes later, Kipsy returned to Remus's side holding a brown paper bag and an apple. "Kipsy has made bacon and sausage sandwich for Remus, and has found an apple."

Taking the bag from the young elf, he thanked her with a smile.

"Kipsy is welcoming you." She said before bowing, "Now Kipsy must work."

"I'm sorry for keeping you."

"Is no problem for Remus, sir."

With one last bow, the young elf returned to the fray, leaving Remus on his own.

With his lunch in hand, he exited the Kitchens and returned to the hallway, finding it (unsurprisingly) empty. With a great sigh, he exited the basement and made his way up the stairs, deep in thought.

Ever since Lily had decided to sit next to him in that first Transfiguration lesson last month, things had been slowly changing: he was getting better at charms and spells, having lost the major distraction that is Peter, a rivalry had arisen between himself and James, which he _still_ didn't understand, and now he was starting to talk to Snape without getting hexed!

What was going-

Suddenly, the stairs were rising up to meet him, and it was only his last minute reflexes that kept him from injuring himself.

Looking down, he found that his foot had sunk half way through one of the stairs.

Had he really been so distracted that he would forget about the trick step?

Pulling himself upright, he grabbed hold of the banister, put his other foot on a higher, _solid_ step, and heaved.

It was like pulling your leg out of custard.

The stair had a suctioned grasp of his foot, and it took several attempts to pull the entirety of his foot out, being careful to point his toes up so he didn't lose his shoe in the process. It felt like he would have concrete stuck to his foot by the time he'd escaped but there was nothing to show for his struggle. He simply stared at the innocent looking step for a few moments before continuing on.

What was wrong with him? He'd _never_ gotten caught out by that stair, not even in the first year! Running a hand over his face, he tried to understand what was happening to him. There wasn't any reason he could think of other than…

No.

He couldn't be...

Could he?

Shaking his head, he continued to make his way up to the Gryffindor tower, refusing to think further on the matter.

Unfortunately, _not_ thinking about something is one of the hardest things anyone could ever do, so, inevitably, his thoughts continued to return _that subject_. By the time he reached his room, it was all he could do to stop himself from hitting his head against the walls to make his thoughts stop.

He tried to distract himself with his work, immersing himself in his Astronomy essay, and it worked for an hour or so, but then, once he'd finished it, the questions and unwanted answers started to circulate in his head again. The potions essay did an equally fine job, but once again, when the distraction had vanished, so did the quietness within his mind.

By the time the bell in the clock tower had rung for lunch, Remus had finished three essays and had made a start on identifying various creatures based on the food they ate and their natural homes for Care of Magical Creatures.

Setting his book down, he pulled out the paper bag and pulled out the sandwich Kipsy had given him.

Cold sausage and bacon sandwiches were one of his favourite lunches. Simple, yet filling.

Pulling out his book on rare magical creatures from under his bed, he began to flick through until he found the section on thestrals. He'd already made several notes on what he'd found so far, but there was still the last few pages left.

_Interactions with Humans (and other humanoid beings)_

_ The thestral can be a very useful being when it comes to the human populace. Due to their ability to fly, along with their horse-like anatomy, they can make trustworthy steeds, though this is rarely done, as the evil attached to these creatures keeps riders from using them._

Remus scoffed, spraying crumbs all over the page which he quickly wiped away with his sleeve.

_Those that do brave the thestral's curse usually hold the beast's mane for balance and sit between their wing joints to provide safety, as they will not be saddled and it is difficult to balance on their backs. This can be an uncomfortable and unpleasant experience, especially for those who cannot see them, as they tend to fly at high speeds._

He skipped to the next paragraph, having already figured out what the effects were.

_There have been accounts of other uses for thestrals. One such example is of the gentle, tamed heard found on the grounds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where they are used to pull the carriages for the students._

And with that one line, he had all the proof he needed.

Next time he should skip to the end of the chapter to start with. It would save reading the seemingly endless pages before.

However, the book had been extremely useful. Even Lily had been able to find…

And there it was again.

That thought.

That niggling question and its impossible answer.

But it couldn't be true.

And yet it was. Beyond any doubt.

"I'm falling for Lily Evans."

**AN - Well... I can tell you that I wasn't expecting THAT to happen. What is it about fictional character that keep them from doing what they're told?**

**So... uhm... ta da! The revelation has been made! Completely by accident on my part, and on Remus's too it would seem, but as soon as that trick step came in, there was no way I could steer this in any other direction. Funny how that tends to happen...**

**I hope you guys liked it! It was definitely a surprise filled chapter to write. Until next week!**


	9. A Close Call

**A Close Call**

"Are you okay?"

Remus raised his head from his folded arms to find Lily stood over him from across the table, her brows frowning lightly in concern.

"I…" he started, but shook his head. "What are you doing here?"

"What, did you manage to lose some brain cells since the last time we spoke?" she joked, the corner of her mouth rising. "It's the library. I came here to study."

He grunted, feeling stupid for failing to remember where he was.

It had only been a day since he'd discovered his blooming emotions, but after his initial shock and the loud distraction of his friends, he'd been unable to keep his mind from the worrying thoughts that came with them.

He couldn't be with another person, let alone Lily. His condition made that inescapably clear. As soon as he started to get close to anyone, they would start to notice things: the scars he was unable to hide under his clothes, how he went missing for a day or two every month…

He was dangerous, and nothing was going to change that, no matter how hard anyone tried to convince him otherwise. He was a monster, hiding in plain sight. If Lily were to learn the truth, there was no doubt in his mind that she would run the other way, screaming, and it hurt him to know that. She was a wonderful, understanding friend, but what had happened with the Marauders was a fluke. There was no chance it could happen again. As much as he loved being friends with her, he knew his luck wasn't strong enough to add a fourth member.

"What's wrong with you today?" Lily asked, taking a seat. "You're not usually this grumpy. And where's the toerag and his groupies?"

Remus couldn't help but chuckle at that comment, and he felt the weight on his shoulders become fractionally lighter as she smiled. "I think they said something about dung bombs…"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course. I should have expected as much."

He shrugged, looking her over. She really was pretty in the afternoon sun.

No. He couldn't think of her like that.

Lowering his gaze, he rested his chin on his arms again with a sigh.

"Remus?"

He ignored her, examining the grooves and scars in the table, hoping she'd understand that he didn't want to talk.

"Remus, what's wrong?"

He shook his head, turning to look at the window instead.

"It wasn't Potter, was it?"

He shook his head again.

"Black?"

Another shake.

"I can't imagine that Peter would have done anything…"

"I'm fine, Lily," he said, a little too forcefully, "I just… leave it, alright?"

Everything was silent between them for a moment, and he thought she was going to leave, but then he felt her soft fingers curl around his own.

"Look at me, Remus."

He continued to stare at the window for a few moments, but decided that it would be better to get this over with.

She was biting at the inside of her lip in that way she did when she was nervous, and her eyes were wide and pleading. "You know you can tell me, don't you? Whatever it is, I can help."

"Not this you can't." He pulled his hand away and hugged his knees to his chest, ignoring the way the chair creaked slightly as he leaned back a little too far.

Lily's look only became more troubled. "Remus-"

"We can't do this anymore."

She blinked, her mouth falling agape. "Do… this?"

He nodded. "I'm… I'm sorry. I can't… we…"

She shook her head, a confused smile appearing as she did. "You're not making any sense."

Taking a deep breath, he unfolded himself and stood, but he couldn't look at her. "We can't… be friends any more Lily."

She stared. "Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, somehow finding the courage to look her in those beautiful green eyes, before running, like the coward he was.

He didn't pay attention to where he was going, or what the other students might think, he just kept going, moving further and further away from her as he felt something in his chest grow cold and empty. He climbed stairs and ran along corridors, pushed through crowds and slammed open doors; it wasn't until he reached a balcony that he finally came to a stop.

Taking deep breaths, he tried to keep himself under control, but it was all he could do to cry out in pain. His legs collapsed under him and he felt his chest constricting as his cheeks began to burn, ready for the tears he knew were to come.

It was for the best. It had to be.

But if it was, why did it _hurt_ so much?

Suddenly, the sound of a door slamming shut brought his attention to his surroundings.

There were star maps everywhere – on the walls, the tables, the ceiling – and telescopes and various stargazing instruments were scattered across the room, but none of these held any interest for him. It was the girl with the flaming red hair stood burning by the door that held his attention, her expression a mixture of hurt and rage.

"How dare you," she hissed as she began her slow advance. "How _dare_ you!"

Remus tried to make himself as small as possible, but the effort was futile.

"Do you have _any_ idea of how you made me feel? How you just crushed my feelings without any explanation?"

One of the glass casings of the lanterns popped as it exploded into a thousand shards.

"You expect me to just… _accept_ that our friendship, our _trust_, was… _wrong_?"

"No, Lily, I-"

"Quiet!"

Another lantern exploded, showering the carpet with crystals.

"You have not right, _no right_, to do that! Not to me, and not to yourself!"

She was towering over him now, her face almost as dark as her hair, her fists curled at her sides as she shook.

"What could have possibly been going through your head to make you think that our friendship was wrong?"

Remus shook his head. "I can't… I… I can't-!"

"Can't what? Stand to see me? Am I really that repulsive?"

"No!" He cried. "You could never be that!"

"Then what?" she asked, her voice losing its hard edge, "Remus… I don't understand!"

"I can't… You'll hate me if… when… I-"

She lowered herself to her knees and stared at him. "What are you so afraid of?"

"I can't tell you!" He yelled, tears beginning to bloom in his eyes. "If I told you, you'd hate me! And I couldn't… You-"

For the second time in his life, his cheek burned, and he could feel it throbbing beneath his fingers when his hand rose to cover it.

"Idiot."

Remus blinked. "L-Lily?"

She shook her head as she smiled. "Do you remember the last time I did that?"

He nodded, numbly.

"And do you remember what you said after?"

"That… That I deserved it?"

She nodded. "I want you listen to me."

He nodded again.

"I. Don't. Care."

"… You-?"

"Shush!" She pulled herself closer. "I trust you Remus. I trust you more than my own sister, and I trust you enough to know that this hurts you as much as it hurts me."

He looked down at his feet, somehow feeling worse than he already was.

"And I know you trust me too. I just hope that, one day, you'll trust me enough to know that, whatever this secret is that you're keeping, it will not make me hate you. Not ever."

Remus smirked. "You don't even know what it is."

Lily smiled in return. "I know you. Maybe not as well as those friends of yours, but I do know you. Whatever it is you're hiding… It will not make me change what I think of you."

"You say that-"

"And I mean it!"

He sighed. "I know you too Lily. I know that you mean every word that you say. I also know that I would have told you before 'those friends of mine', but this thing… I grew up with everyone hating it, and knowing that if anyone knew that I… was associated with it, they would hate me. James, Sirius and Peter… they surprised me. They kept my secret. But I need to know you better before I can make my decision."

She frowned for a moment, but then she nodded. "You said they found out, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"Hmm." She stood, offering her hand to help him up, which he took.

Quickly wiping away the tears that had managed to escape with his sleeve, Remus looked over the class room. "Remind me not to make you angry again."

The two of them looked over the room and found several areas had been covered in shards of crystal and glass. Luckily, none of the larger, more expensive telescopes had been damaged, but one or two smaller ones had crumpled, and none of the lights had protective cases any more.

"Noted."

The two of them quickly went around the room, casting repairing and reversal charms whenever they found something broken. The only thing that they couldn't fix was one of the tables which seemed to have lost a few inches from one of its legs, for which they left a note, apologising for the damage.

After making a quick exit, they made their way towards the Great Hall in silence, knowing lunch was to be served soon. Once they'd reached the table, they sat opposite each other and waited for the food to appear.

The other Marauders hadn't arrived yet, that much was clear, otherwise they would have dragged Remus off, or been bragging about some prank or another, old or new, to anyone who would listen, so the two of them had a little time before things became hectic, especially if James had been talking about dung bombs earlier.

"So, uh… do you really trust me more than your sister?" Remus asked, finding the silence a little hard to bear.

"Oh, well…" Lily blushed, "It's not that big of a thing, really. 'Tuney and I… We used to get along, but when she found out I could do magic, she got jealous and… She doesn't really talk to me much anymore."

"Oh." He looked down at the table. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she said with a shrug, "It's been going on for a few years now. At least I've got Severus at home."

"Snape lives with you?"

"What? No!" she laughed, her smile wiping away most of the sorrow, "He lives a few streets away from me."

"Oh, uh…" He felt flustered and could feel his cheeks beginning to heat up.

Lily's laugh only increased in volume. "Too easy!"

Remus groaned as several students began to turn their way, ducking his head at their looks, annoyed and amused alike. Being the centre of attention was the exact opposite of what he wanted.

But then, if that were the case, he wouldn't be hanging around with the biggest trouble makers in school, his mind helpfully provided, making him groan all the louder.

A few moments later, the laughter had stopped, and people had returned to their own conversations, much to Remus's relief.

"Friends?"

Looking up, he found Lily's hand, once again, extended towards him.

He stared at it for a moment, wondering if he should accept it. He was still afraid that she would find out, like the others had, and he still wasn't convinced that it would end well, but he knew that it would hurt too much to let her go. And so, in a moment of pure selfishness, he reached for her hand.

"Friends." He said.

"Good." She shuffled a little closer to the table. "So, what brought all of this on in the first place?"

Remus thanked whatever God would listen that he was already blushing, as he knew it would give him away in a second. "I… uh… I'm going to have to say that's another secret."

One of her eyebrows rose. "Another one I have to be patient for?"

He nodded. "I'm afraid so."

She sighed. "I guess I'll just have to be patient then."

Remus made to answer, but at that moment, the toerag and his groupies arrived.

"Moony!" Sirius cried when he spotted him. "Oh Merlin, you should have _seen_ it!"

"Should have seen their faces!" Peter exclaimed between giggles.

James grabbed him from behind and pulled him towards the other end of the hall, sending Lily what was meant to be a wink, but it turned into a grimace when Remus's elbow connected with his stomach.

"Get off me you git!"

Lily just laughed as James wheezed, clutching at his chest.

Perhaps being selfish wouldn't be too bad this time.

**AN - I realise this is shorter than usual, but I've been focusing on my essay recently, and I've been searching for summer jobs. I have an interview on Wednesday though, so wish me luck! XD**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this! I got a little annoyed at the 'in-between' bits, and the ending's not amazing, but I had to get this done!**

**I suppose I'll see you guys next week!**


	10. Confusing Concoction

**Confusing Concoction**

The next few weeks passed in a blur; April turned into May, the full moon passed relatively quietly, and both Lyall Lupin's birthday and Mother's day had gone much better than expected. Remus's mother had sent a box of her home baked chocolate brownies as a thank you for his present, which he shared with all his friends (not that he had much of a choice, considering who they were), and two long letters telling him how grateful they were for their gifts.

Lily, of course, got one of the largest shares of the brownies, along with a mention in his next letter home. That would be the fourth time her name had come up in his correspondence with his parents, and he hoped that they wouldn't read between the lines. However, knowing his mother, it would only be a matter of time before they knew about his feelings towards her; feelings which were becoming increasingly difficult to hide.

At first, it had been easy enough, if a little painful, to push them down, to keep a straight face, or smile, whenever James would talk about her, about how he would win her over and get her to be his girlfriend. However, with every moment spent with her, he grew to like her a little more, and his patience was starting to wear thin with his friend.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, the end of year exams were just around the corner, so James's swooning had come to a near halt during the 'revision season'. Remus's nerves, though equally frayed by the prospect of exams as everyone else's, were saved the extra weight of the scruffy-haired boy's chatter. For now, at least.

However, James was never very good at revising, and constantly tried to distract the closest person when he got too bored. Remus could have dealt with that, but Sirius was much worse. _Sirius_ would exclaim his boredom to everyone in the room and, if he was in the right mood, would start throwing paper planes and scrunched up pieces of parchment at any unsuspecting victim nearby. Where the both of them were bored, it was a good time to vacate the area before something exploded.

Hence the reason why Remus was sat in the library, surrounded by books on varying subjects, on his own.

He'd finished looking at Charms and Transfiguration, and Defence Against the Dark Arts would be easy enough, but the book in front of him might as well have been in Gobbledegook it was so confusing! How could one subject cause him such grief?

Throwing his quill down, he leaned back in his chair, staring at the open book before him.

It was a copy of _Magical Drafts and Potions_, perhaps _the_ most basic of Potions text books used by the school, and yet he couldn't seem to wrap his head around it. Had Lily been there, Remus would have asked for her help, but as it was, she was studying with Robin and Jayne in the Girl's Dormitory. He didn't want to disturb her, nor did he want to upset her friends, as he'd been taking up a fair bit of her time already, and so he remained in this unfortunate dilemma.

He stared at the page for a little longer, trying to figure out the exact point where he started to get lost, when a flash of green caught his eye.

To his great surprise, Severus Snape, dressed in a baggy green shirt, had sat at the end of his table, wielding a copy of _Advanced Potions Making_ and a quill.

Remus couldn't recall a single time where he'd seen Snape in anything other than his school robes before. Even on weekends, if he was out of his Common Room, he would usually be wearing the customary trousers, shirt and tie. It was definitely an odd image. It made the greasy haired boy look almost… vulnerable.

Perhaps _Snape_ could help him.

Sure, they didn't get along too well, and has next to certain the Slytherin hated him, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Would it?

"Are you going to keep staring at me, or are you going to tell me what you're obviously _dying_ to say?"

Remus looked away immediately, ashamed that he had been staring. "I'm… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude."

Snape snorted without looking up from his book and scratched out something before making a note.

They said not a word for some minutes, simply sitting and reading and making notes, until Remus found he couldn't take his uselessness any longer.

"Actually, I was wondering something," he said, turning back the other boy.

"If you were wondering why I was sat here, all the other tables were taken." Snape replied, once more refusing to look up from his book.

Looking around, Remus found that the Library was, indeed, rather full. There had only been a few tables spare when he'd first come in, but now there were none, just as Snape had said. "Uhm, well, although I _was_ wondering that, I was going to ask you something else."

This time, the book fell as Severus's dark eyes came to rest on him in a disbelieving frown.

"I was wondering if you could… help me with my Potions."

The greasy-haired boy stared at him for a moment before casting his eyes around the book shelves that surrounded them. "You won't give me a moment of peace, will you."

Remus blinked. "What?"

"Did you really think I was going to fall for that?" He slammed his book shut and stood. "The _arrogance_-"

"Snape, I have _no idea_ what you're talking about."

The boy scoffed. "I'm _sure_ you don't." And with that, he left, leaving Remus completely bewildered and confused.

Seconds later though, he'd gathered up his own books and notes, sent a quiet apology about the mess he'd left on the table to Madam Beak, and dashed out after him. Luckily, the Slytherin hadn't gone far.

"Snape!" he cried, readjusting his hold on everything as his notes attempted to fly away, "Wait! Please! I need some-"

"The only thing you _need_ is to stop following me," the boy snapped, turning back to face his tail with his wand drawn. "I will not be the victim of another one of your pranks."

Several students in the hallway gasped at the sight of his wand, most of them moving quickly on, no doubt to inform a teacher, though one or two remained.

Glancing warily at the tool turned weapon, Remus swallowed. "I'm unarmed."

"That's never stopped your friends."

He winced. "Yes, but I'm not them. And they're not here."

Severus inspected him for a moment before letting his eyes slide over every nook and cranny in the hall. When his eyes failed to find any evidence of the other Marauders, they returned to Remus.

"I really did mean what I said last month."

For a few more moments, Snape continued to stare at him, but then, with a great sigh, he tucked his wand away again. "Potions, did you say?"

Remus smiled. "Yes. I can't seem to wrap my head around them."

Snape nodded. "Well then, you'd best follow me then. I have no doubt that your table has been taken by now."

Shifting his books once again, Remus made his way over to the green-clad boy, passing the disappointed spectators along the way. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," he said, "I have a feeling I won't be able to stand your incompetence for too long, so this will probably be short."

Ignoring the quip, Remus shrugged. "Any help would be greatly appreciated."

Snape snorted. "Are you always so formal?"

"Am I…? I… I guess I am. I never really thought about it."

Severus hummed, but didn't reply, turning the corner at the next junction.

Several minutes later, along with a lot of turns, stairs and corridors, they eventually reached the dungeons; Professor Slughorn's class room, to be precise, who was currently sat behind his desk, marking some homework or writing a letter.

"This class room is closed on weekends," he said, not even looking up from his quill. "Any studying can be done in the library or in another class room."

Remus sighed, disappointed, but as he made to exit, Snape grabbed his arm.

"Sorry Professor, we didn't mean to interrupt you," he said in an apologetic tone and turned away, though he didn't move from the door.

In an instant, the Potions teacher's head flew up, a smile sliding into place. "Oh! Severus! Come in, come in, my lad. You could never interrupt."

Turning back, Severus… smiled?

Remus could barely believe it. In all the years he'd known the boy, not once had he seen the black haired boy smile, not even when he was praised in his lessons. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have doubted that it had even happened.

It seemed that today was a day of firsts when it came to Severus Snape.

"Thank you, Professor," Snape said, his hand falling away from the Gryffindor's wrist, "Do you mind if I help my friend with some Potions revision in here? I thought having practical demonstrations would help."

Slughorn looked at Remus for the first time and one of his eyebrows rose. "Mr Lupin?"

"Yes sir." Snape affirmed.

The Potions Master hummed. "I do hope you're not falling in with the wrong crowd, Severus."

"No sir. Just Potions."

He hummed again and gave Remus a meaningful glare that made him squirm. "If you say so. Perhaps some of your genius will rub off on him."

"Perhaps, sir."

Looking them both over once more, he sighed. "Just make sure he doesn't make anything explode. I'll be back in a few minutes. I need to see Professor McGonagall about something. I shan't be long."

The two of the stepped out of the doorway and let him pass, watching for a few moments as he walked down the corridor. It was only when he was out of ear shot that they made their way into the classroom.

Placing his books on one of the tables, Remus turned to his new tutor. "So… friend, huh?"

Severus scoffed. "Don't get used to it. Slughorn would never have let you in if you weren't someone I trusted, and that was the fastest way to get him to think that."

"And do you?"

Snape frowned. "Trust you? The boy I was asked to keep from making things explode?"

Remus groaned. "It was one time! And it wasn't even me! Sirius thought it would be a good idea to see what would happen if you put a dung bomb in a brewing Swelling Solution."

"If you say so."

"It's true!"

Severus didn't answer, but made his way to the store cupboard. "What potion has been giving you problems?"

"Oh, uh…" Remus flicked through his text book until he reached the page he'd bookmarked earlier. "The Confusion Concoction."

The Slytherin entered the store room and, a few minutes later, emerged with a cauldron, several jars of ingredients, a pestle and mortar, and the basic cutting utensils. Setting them out on a separate table, he folded his arms.

"Alright then, what is it that your feeble brain can't seem to grasp?"

Refusing to rise to the challenge, Remus set his book down and studied the pages. "I missed the lesson the day they you did the practical for this one. I tend to understand them better after the practical, but I was… away."

One of Snape's eyebrows rose, but he remained silent.

"I can remember the process, and after enough practice, I can remember the ingredients and the timings, but I don't understand it." He frowned down at the text. "Knowing the timings and steps is never enough though, is it."

The other boy considered this for a moment before nodding. "No, it's not."

Remus sighed. "What is it that I'm missing?"

He continued to scan the ages, trying to understand the words that were somehow hidden from his eyes, even though he knew it was an impossible task.

Suddenly, the book was pulled from under him and closed, forcing him to look up.

Severus was giving him an unreadable look, somewhere between sympathy and understanding. "Respect."

Remus frowned. "I don't understand."

In an instant, the look was gone, and once again his face was set in a near disgusted manor. "Of course you don't. You're a Marauder. Marauders don't respect anything."

Remus made to retort, but thought better of it. He didn't want to end the lesson before it had even begun. "There are some things we do respect."

"Oh? Do enlighten me."

"We respect each other-"

"Strange kind of respect that is. Do you not 'prank' each other?"

Remus glared, but he would not be dissuaded. "Yes, it might be a strange kind of respect, but it is respect none-the-less. We do not do anything we wouldn't mind happening to ourselves."

"It's too bad it doesn't extend to others."

Oh, how he wished that were true. "We also respect a number of the teachers – don't! I know it doesn't look like it, but we do. And secrets."

Snape scoffed. "Secrets? You spy on me, you encroach on other people's privacy… how is that respect for secrets?"

Remus pursed his lips. "Perhaps I said that wrong. It's not exactly respect for the secrets themselves, but the fact that they exist." At Snape's frown, he pulled himself onto one of the stools and splayed his fingers out on the table. "We're curious, James and Sirius more than myself. Our respect is more for the well-kept ones. We respect that they were a secret for a reason, and if we find out what they are, then we will make sure that no one else will find out what they are. Not unless it will put others at risk."

"So, what? You see yourselves as glorified secret keepers?"

Remus shook his head. "No. We're just a couple of boys who want to have fun, but know when something should be left alone."

Severus remained silent, his glare softening slightly. "You have a rather destructive way of having fun."

Remus chuckled. "No, _my_ kind of fun is curling up in by a window with a good book and a heap of Honeydukes Finest. It's mostly Sirius who prefers the destructive side of things. I think it has something to do with trying to be the 'white sheep' of the Black family. Just don't ask me how breaking things answers that. Not even James could answer that question."

Snape nodded slowly, eyes falling to the closed _Magical Drafts and Potions_ book that was lying under his hand. For a moment, it looked as though he would leave, but then he coughed and made his way back to the table with all the equipment on.

"Shall we get started then?" the greasy haired boy asked, setting the small cauldron on the stand over the burner.

With a quick smile, Remus jumped down from the stool and went to stand next to his tutor.

Over the next half an hour, Severus made him recite the instructions three times, the ingredients six times, and identify each of them correctly twice (after a bit of a faulty start) before allowing him to start the task at hand. Remus was a little wary of the way that Snape hovered over him, his eyes scrutinising his every move, and was more than a little put off at the way he would jump on him for any wrong movement or tiny flaw.

It was beginning to get ridiculous, the last comment mentioning that he had been stirring the potion too hard, when Slughorn returned with, to both students' surprise, Professor McGonagall in tow.

"Remus! Master Snape!" she exclaimed in surprise, "I did not expect to see you here."

"Oh, I do apologise Minerva," Slughorn said, "They asked if they could use my room for some studying and I could not turn them away. I must have forgotten to mention it."

"I see." She did not sound convinced.

"How are things coming, my boy?" the Potions Master asked, studying the contents of the cauldron and the ingredients scattered about on the table. "Ah, the Confusing Concoction!"

"Yes sir," Snape said as he urged Remus to continue on.

"And no incidents?"

The green clad boy glanced back at his student for a moment and tilted his head. "Add the Scurvy Grass in sprinkled pinches. It makes it blend with the other ingredients better."

Remus nodded and moved his hand away from the cauldron where he was about to dump the diced blades in all at once and began to collect them with his thumb and fore-finger instead.

Turning back to the Professor, Snape shrugged. "No sir, no incidents."

Slughorn nodded with a smile. "Good. I will be in my office if you need me. Minerva?"

The Transfiguration teacher nodded, sending Remus a questioning look before following her colleague to the door behind his desk, disappearing within.

The two boys continued to work on the potion for the next hour, and not once did the teachers emerge, nor did their voices penetrate the black oak door. By the time the potion had finished brewing, Remus had almost forgotten the Professors where in the other room.

"Do you think it's right?" he asked, looking at the thick, green contents of the cauldron with worry as Snape emptied it into a glass vial. "Is it supposed to look like that?"

Severus sighed. "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Am I sure?"

Remus winced. "Sorry, stupid question."

Severus simply scooped the last of the potion into the vial and put the stopper in. "here's your potion."

He looked at it for a moment, but then shook his head. "I can't take that. If my friends find it…"

Snape frowned at him, keeping the bottle held out to him, but Remus shook his head again.

"You keep it." He pushed it towards the other and started to pack things away. "I don't want it."

Snape continued to stare at him for a bit, but then dropped his arm. "Thanks."

At that moment, the office door opened and Professor McGonagall stepped out.

"Thank you, Horace," she said, walking out to the classroom door, "I will get back to you about it within the week."

Slughorn soon followed, his usual smile a little dimmer than usual. "Thank you."

With one last nod, the Gryffindor Head left, and left the three of them alone.

The Professor sighed and his smile slipped a little further. "You boys head up to dinner, I'll clear up."

"Are you sure, Professor?" Snape asked.

"Yes, yes," he pushed them towards the door, "Off you go now."

The door shut behind them with a resounding _bang_.

They stood there for a moment, wondering what had just happened.

"What do you think they talked about that made him kick us out?" Remus asked.

"Dunno." Snape shrugged. "I'm going to get some food." He began to make his way down the corridor. "If you need any more help, get Lily to teach you. I' fed up of your incompetence."

Remus frowned at that, but then he felt a laugh build up in his chest.

They might not be friends just yet, but it was a start.

**AN - Not too happy with this one. It didn't want to be written, but I got through it in the end. I hope I kept Sev in character enough here. It got a little difficult at times...**

**Hope you guys liked this one! I thought I'd use the _Scurvy Grass_ from the Befuddlement Draught, as the Confusing Concoction didn't have any ingredients on the wiki page.**

**Anywho... Until next week!**


	11. Slither of Hope

**Slither of Hope**

The weeks were passing surprisingly quickly, and the end of May was already just around the corner. Classes continued in much the same fashion as they always had, and revision was steadily climbing everyone's list of priorities, though Remus doubted it would ever reach number one for him. It seemed bizarre that the school year was going to end in just over a month, and he was both looking forward to _and_ dreading it.

The summer holidays meant he would be back in a world where people hated him for what he was. Sure, his parents loved him, but he sometimes caught his mum looking at him with sympathy and pity welling up in her eyes, and it had taken his dad a while to get over his prejudices and accept that being a werewolf did not automatically make you a monster. Sometimes they went on holidays, but they weren't the usual kind. Usually, they'd travel to some obscure region of Turkey, or a hidden mountain pass in the Philippines, or whatever corner of the globe it was, and they'd enjoy a brief two or three days like a normal tourist family – explore the area, take family photos, make memories and such – but then they would get to the _real_ reason behind their stay.

Reus had been poked, prodded, scratched, hit, injected, cursed and forced to swallow vile concoctions so many times over the years that he'd lost count, and hope.

He knew there was no changing what he was. There was no cure. No way to make him into something he wasn't. He accepted that, as did his friends. But his parents, so riddled with guilt, would never stop looking.

He'd received a letter from his dad a few days before, mentioning something about some guy in Canada who had supposedly discovered a cure, and that, if the tale proved to be true, they would be travelling there that coming July, a week after the year had finished. Remus didn't even bother hoping. He already knew it was a dead end. But, as always, he wrote a reply saying how 'excited' he was and that he had 'a good feeling about this one'. It was what they wanted to hear after all, and who was he to deny them their faith?

He'd told the Marauders about the letter, and they'd told him how envious they were that he got to go to Canada. They'd joked and laughed and plotted ways to follow him or sneak on board the plane with him (his mum didn't trust portkeys or any kinds of wizarding transport that involved disappearing), and in the end the whole thing seemed much more fun.

Of course, all of their plans were stupidly impossible, what with Sirius being all but trapped at home and Peter's family coming over to celebrate his birthday around the same time Remus was to leave, let alone their inability to understand some of the basic muggle artefacts, such as money. James was probably the only person who could probably follow him, but Lyall never wrote down locations in his letters, and by the time Remus found out where they were headed, it was too late to send any messages to anyone.

Yet another reason why he wondered why wizards hated phones.

The summer holidays were his least favourite time of year, but this year, it would be a welcome reprieve. It was becoming emotionally draining, holding his feelings in check, and he was beginning to slip.

He'd shouted at James.

It had shocked him as much as it had shocked anyone else who had heard it.

He'd _never_ shouted at _anyone_, let alone his friends!

It had started off as one of their usual conversations, about what pranks they would pull off next and who their target would be, which was, of course, Snape.

Since his private lesson in the dungeon, Remus had seen the Slytherin boy in a new light, and had made an effort to be kinder towards him. It was a surprise when the boy had returned the sentiment, in his own, small, way. A tip here and there if they were sat near each other in potions, a small nod when they passed each other in the halls, sitting with him and Lily if no one was watching. It was an odd kind of friendship, but it was a friendship none-the-less.

James had mentioned how the 'greasy git' was always lurking around Lily, to which Remus had mentioned that it was probably that she actually _liked_ him. A mistake, now that he looked back on it.

Of course, James had insisted that Snivellus had somehow infected her with his hair grease and made her like him. He may or may not have then said something along the lines of 'she obviously doesn't know how to pick her friends', which Remus had found highly offensive, as, not only did he consider himself her friend, but it also made Lily sound as though she had no capability to read another person's character. The argument probably would have ended there, but James had to mention how she was wrong in most cases, getting himself and Snivelly mixed up for instance.

Two minutes later, Remus's voice had risen to surprising levels as he defended Lily's choices, explaining how James _was_ in fact an arrogant bastard who automatically assumed that everyone either loved him or was in Slytherin, and had been coddled in a safe little bubble of prejudice and lies that deflected anything bad for far too long. Not every book is like its cover. Everyone has secrets. The world is not black and white.

This led to yet another parting for their group, and more anxiety for the majority of the student body and staff, though this time, Sirius had stuck with Remus instead.

"You're right," he'd told him, "James _does_ have an inflated ego. But you take everything too seriously."

"What?"

"Since the first moment I saw you, when you sat on the stool at the front of everyone, I knew you were too cautious. 'Cuz I've seen the look you had before."

"Oh? And where's that?"

"In the mirror."

That answer had shocked him more than he thought it would, but it confused him even more.

"I have grown up in a family that believes that everyone is beneath them. I had to learn my morals from an Uncle who I barely saw, and he wasn't a very good role model. My parents hated me the moment they discovered I 'defected' to Gryffindor, and they never really liked me that much before. I have watched my own brother, who was someone who looked up to me like I was some kind of miracle worker, turn from an innocent boy to someone who hexes people in the corridors because of their parentage. I have had to hide who I really was for so long, and it's exhausting."

"Sirius… What are you saying?"

The boy had been unable to answer at once, but his answer tore the world from beneath his feet.

"You and James… Without you, James would wreak havoc. He would be expelled within a year, without a doubt. He's smart and fun, but it can go too far sometimes. And without James, you would be a stack of nerves, buried in a pile of books in a corner, waiting for the next boot to hit you as you fretted over whether your secret would be discovered." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I wish I could say I could do the things you do for him – for us – but… I'm too scared to show who I really am. How could I ever do anything like that?"

Remus had always known that there was another side to his friend, but he'd never imagined that he could be scared. Sirius had always been the first one to say yes to the most crazy of ideas, the first one to volunteer whenever there was a practical demonstration in Defence Against the Dark Arts (it had gotten to a point that the Professor had given up asking any more), and he was always, without fail the one who would risk a lifetime of pain by provoking Professor 'Minnie' McGonagall. The thought that he was afraid was a more terrifying thought than having Lily discover what he was.

It certainly put things in perspective.

After a fair bit of thinking, a lot of silence and a few awkward conversations, their friendship was patched up once again, and everyone's nerves settled back to their revision standard highs.

Neither Sirius nor Remus ever mentioned their chat. Or the several other chats involving Remus's feelings towards Lily. It was scary how perceptive the black haired boy could be. Now, every time he found the two of them together, he would send him a ridiculously smug look and make comments about how 'close' they seemed to be.

Luck seemed to be on his side today though. A last minute quidditch practice had been called, and both Sirius and James had been forced to attend, leaving both Peter and himself to fend for themselves. Then, surprisingly, Peter had revealed that he had somehow managed to glean a date from Robin (he didn't know whether to consider the fact that Robin said yes or that Peter had asked her in the first place more of a shock) and was unavailable for the day, leaving both Remus and Lily alone in the Common room.

"Well," Lily said as she stared after her friend as she stepped through the portrait, "I definitely wasn't expecting that."

Remus hummed in agreement, also unable to take his eyes off the last place he'd seen Peter. "Didn't say a word."

"Same."

They continued to stare for a few moments, neither of them understanding what had just happened.

Coughing, Remus turned back to the fireplace and made his way over to a sofa. "Well, we're not going to be able to figure out how _that_ happened without some facts," he dropped down into the pillows, letting his legs stretch out in front of him, "so I'm going to try and figure out how I'm going to pass the time."

"No homework?" Lily asked, moving to sit next to him.

"Finished it yesterday."

She nodded. "Me too."

It took a moment for the close proximity to register, but by the time it did, Remus's shoulder was already being used as a pillow.

"So what was the fight about?"

"The fight?"

She hummed. "You and James. It was the same as last time; weird looks across the table, avoiding each other, the silent treatment… You're not _too_ hard to read. Once you get past the mysterious exterior."

"Mysterious exterior?"

"No distracting!"

Looking down at her, his heart raced at seeing her face so close, her scent filling his senses, her eyes so intent, her lips… He swallowed. "I, uh… James was talking about Snape."

Lily blinked in surprise, shifting a little onto her back, which distanced her from him a little. "You were defending Sev?"

"Well, not directly…"

She tilted her head a little and pulled on the end of her hair, waiting patiently for him to continue.

He sighed. "It basically came down to you not being able to make very good decisions."

"Is that so?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Yeah."

Her lips twitched, as though she was trying to keep something horrible in her mouth. "And what did you say?"

He shrugged. "I may have mentioned that he was an arrogant arsehole who's been surrounded by enough cushioning in his life that he doesn't understand that appearances can be deceiving." He turned back to look at the fireplace once more. "And I may have said something about how your choices are your own and no one else's."

"Remus," she gasped, playfully, "were you defending my honour?"

He blushed. "Well, I-"

"Oh, you really are a gentleman."

Suddenly, her arms were around him, and her cheek was pressed against his chest in a rather awkward hug. For a moment, he didn't know what to do. He'd never been hugged by a girl before (his mum didn't count), and he found himself holding his arms out like a threatened bird, but, slowly, he lowered them, and slipped them around her.

"Perhaps, my Lord Damsel," she said, pulling herself out from his arms, "you need a new name."

"I, uh-"

"'Damsel' is _hardly_ a fitting name for someone who would stand up for me to their own friend, after all."

"I… suppose not…"

She tapped her chin for a moment, her brow furrowing as she thought. "Sir Knight?" She shook her head. "No. Knights are too arrogant."

"So, like James then?"

She scoffed. "Unfortunately true. He's too full of himself not to be." She studied his face. "I don't think you're knight material."

Remus frowned. "Thanks?"

"It's a compliment."

"If you say so."

She glared at him, but then her eyes lit up. "Lupo!"

"L-… What?"

Lily grinned. "Lupo! It means wolf."

"I know what it means."

She huffed. "It suits you."

Remus raised one of his eyebrows. "Is that so?"

She nodded. "For one thing, you name. I mean, Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were raised by a she-wolf. And Lupin is just another pronunciation of lupine, which means wolf-like." She tilted her head. "And, of course, there's the other reason."

If he'd been drinking something, he was sure he would be a spluttering mess, trying to get the liquid from his lungs. As it was, he could only sit there speechless as his muscles tensed. Did she know? Was it over before it had even begun? "Other re-reason?"

Lily smiled. "You are so loyal to your friends, you defend them with everything you've got. They are your pack. You are intelligent, compassionate and have a strong sense of family. I don't think you could be more 'wolf-like' if you tried."

For a moment, all he could do was stare, but then all the breath trapped in his lungs came out as a relieved laugh. It probably sounded a little crazy, but Lily didn't seem to care. "I suppose not, no."

She nodded again. "So… Lupo then?"

"Lupo." He returned the smile. "Sounds good."

"Great!" she exclaimed, leaning her head back against his shoulder again before putting on a narrator voice. "And so, Dame Evans and Lupo began their journey through Hogwarts."

Remus laughed. "Coming soon, to theatres near you."

She giggled. "God, it sounds like some weird 'coming of age' story about a girl and her dog!"

"Well, it kind of is."

She shrugged. "True."

They remained in a comfortable silence for a long while after that, Lily slowly snuggling deeper and deeper into Remus's side while his mind raced.

Was it possible that she knew? But she wasn't running away screaming at the top of her lungs. In fact, she seemed to be trying to get as close to him as possible, which wasn't completely unwelcomed, even if he knew he'd be thinking about it all night.

Now that he really thought about it though, he couldn't really see her as the kind of person who would let his condition get in the way of their friendship. Lily was probably the least judgemental person he knew, and she hadn't been brought up with the same prejudices those born in the wizarding world had been. Maybe he _could_ tell her. Maybe not yet, but one day, and one day soon. Maybe this thing between them, whatever it was evolving into, could work.

Maybe, just maybe, he could hold onto that thin slither of hope. Just this once.

**AN - Much heavier chapter than usual, I realise, but I think watching two seasons of Supernatural in a few days brought that out... It was a lot of fun to write, and I'm SO glad things are finally starting to come to a head!**

**That's right, Sirius knows! That's going to be a LOT of fun XD**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again to _i never did tell you_ for beta reading the chapter, and to everyone who helped. Until next week!**


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